Maharashtra falicitate its sporting heroes

Among the recipients was India hockey captain Dhanraj Pillay, the cynosure and apparently the most popular among the award winners going by the rapturous accord he received as he stepped onto stage.

Pillai8217;s colleagues in the triumphant Indian side at Bangkok 8212; Sabu Varkey, Sandeep Somesh and Anil Aldrin 8212; qualified for the awards by virtue of playing for Maharashtra or Mumbai at National-level competition along with Ashok Shandilya who will be Rs 2 lakh richer with a double billiards gold at the Games.

Commonwealth gold medallist shooter Ashok Pandit was represented by his son, while Commonwealth silver medallist shuttler Vincent Lobo was without partner Pune-based Nikhil Kanitkar who is unwell.

Rachita Mistry, 100m bronze medallist at Bankok, was joined by shuttlers Archana Deodhar and Manjusha Kanwar Commonwealth Games bronze medallists 8212; sportswomen all.

The toast of the evening was inevitably the hockey heroes at the centre of which was the glamourous figure of centre-forward and captain Pillay.

Pillay drew cheers, applause and had the the audience in splits as he countered questions as flamboyantly as he effected quick breaks on the pitch.

To the mundane query on how he felt on winning the gold, Pune-based Pillay, speaking fluently in Marathi, said he did not know whether to laugh or to cry in those heady moments following the win over South Korea in the Asian Games final.

He entertained the crowd no end with his next quip. 8220;With so many people surrounding and congratulating us, I was afraid that my gold medal would be stolen!8221;

Pillay, who recently was quoted as saying that should he father a son, he would not allow him to play hockey, was in no mood to relent. When a reference was drawn to his statement, he said he would worry about it only after 15 years.

Shandilya8217;s double gold achievement does not mellow the cueist8217;s rage at the state goverment8217;s inaction to keep its promises.

Back-stage, before the ceremony, he cited the case of women8217;s hockey gold-medal winning captain, Eliza Nelson of 1982 Asiad fame. He flayed the government at not keeping its promise of providing her a flat.

But Shandilya preferred to dwell upon his focus on beating Geet Sethi in the billiards final to realise a 8220;dream8221; and that the effort at Bangkok was for the country rather than self.

Rachita Mistry said she motivated herself keeping in mind track queen PT Usha8217;s mark in mind.

On his part, the chief minister, in a buoyant mood, affirmed he would chose winning a gold medal to his post and in a serious vein, promised to bear expenses of gold medal winners at the Sydney Olympics in two years time. He also said that the state government is keen on extending help to needy sportspersons if approached within 48 hours.