The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Venkat honoured with `Life Time Achievement Award'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 08, 2006

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Sport - Cricket

Venkat honoured with `Life Time Achievement Award'

Special Correspondent

Mr. Ram urged Venkat to author a book on the art of spin bowling

— Photo: V. Ganesan

ACCOLADES APLENTY: N. Ram, Editor-in-Chief, The Hindu conferring ``Lifetime Achievement Award'' to S. Venkatraghavan as Shankar C. Mangadu, president, Rotary Club of Madras looks on.

Chennai: Former India captain and international umpire, S. Venkatraghavan, was conferred with the `Life Time Achievement Award' by the Rotary Club of Madras at a function here on Tuesday.

Eloquent tributes were paid to him by speakers headed by N. Ram, Editor-in-Chief, The Hindu.

Mr. Ram, who was inducted as an honorary member, presented the award.

Rare talent

Portraying Venkatraghavan as a "rare talent," and commending the means with which he "overcame the challenges," Mr. Ram observed that the felicitation function helped to "bring out the attributes" of a stalwart like Venkat.

"He spoke his mind on the field," Mr. Ram said while noting Venkatraghavan's "refined intensity and focus" that exuded the "spirit, which always stood out."

Venkatraghavan excelled in an era when "excellence in spin" was "an embarrassment of riches."

Mr. Ram reminded the audience of a tribute that Sir Garfield Sobers paid, describing Venkat as the "most difficult bowler to score off."

Venkatraghavan's proficiency as a fielder, especially in close-in positions at a time when helmets were not in vogue, came in for praise; so did his physical fitness which Mr. Ram compared to that of Kapil Dev's.

Highly respected

Mr. Ram said Venkatraghavan, as an international umpire, was objective and earned the respect of one and all, performing the role with exemplary mental strength, dignity, poise and remaining unperturbed by the pressure tactics and sledging.

Mr. Ram termed Venkatraghavan's career "illustrious" and urged him to author a book on the art of spin bowling.

Mr. Ram also commended the excellent work of Rotary Club in the field of polio eradication, education and projects related to tsunami relief.

Way of life

Replying to the felicitations, Venkatraghavan said cricket was a way of life for him. "Cricket requires a lot of determination, dedication and devotion," he pointed out, adding how he learnt a lot by observing captains like Nawab of Pataudi and M.L. Jaisimha on how to stimulate the thinking process on the field.

Venkatraghavan said he took to umpiring because there was "no better place to watch cricket."

Regaling the audience

He regaled the audience with a few umpiring anecdotes, and how he earned respect when the players realised that the umpire on the field was also a former Test cricketer.

Rtn. Shanker C. Mangadu, president, Rotary Club of Madras, presided over the function.

Rtn. Nandita Krishnan, director-vocational services, welcomed the gathering.

Heaping praise

Rtn. N.K. Gopinath read the citation, which described him as "a player, captain, coach, manager, administrator, writer, commentator, umpire and match referee — Venkat has done it all. He has done it with honesty, hard work, uprightness and enthusiasm, and has distinguished himself in each and every one of these activities. An extremely rare achievement indeed."

Rtn. Chandrakumar, chairman, awards committee, proposed the vote of thanks.

Rotarians from Seaside West (U.K), led by their President Barry Cummings, attended the function. The members are on a visit to the Rotary-aided projects here.

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