Nandu Natekar

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Nandu Natekar
Personal information
CountryIndia
Born(1933-05-12)12 May 1933
British India[1]
Died28 July 2021(2021-07-28) (aged 88)
Pune, Maharashtra, India
Medal record
Men's badminton
Representing  India
Asian Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1965 Lucknow Men's team

Nandu M. Natekar (12 May 1933[2][3] – 28 July 2021) was an Indian badminton national champion.

Career

Natekar won over 100[4] national and international titles for India in a career spanning 15 years.[4] Natekar was the first Indian to win a title abroad, in 1956.[5][6] Natekar was a director of Natekar Sports and Fitness (NSF).

He won the Men's Doubles National Championship a total of six times,[7] Men's Singles National Championship a total of six times,[8] and Mixed Doubles National Championship a total of five times.[9]

He was an alumnus of Ramnarain Ruia College, Mumbai.[10] His son, Gaurav Natekar, is a seven-time Indian National Champion in tennis.[11]

Natekar died in Pune on 28 July 2021 at the age of 88.[12][13]

Achievements

  • Won National level Men's Singles and Doubles Championship, as well as Mixed Doubles, multiple times in India.[4][14]
  • He has reached the last 8 in the All England Championships.
  • Included among 'the Greats' in a souvenir published by Malaysia during the Thomas Cup series in 1954–55.[15]
  • Men’s Singles Champion in the Selangor International Tournament in Kuala Lumpur in 1956. His victory was also the first international victory by an Indian badminton player.[5][6]
  • Recipient of the first Arjuna Award instituted in 1961.[4][15]
  • Voted the most popular sportsperson of India in 1961.[4]
  • Natekar and Meena Shaw won the Mixed Doubles title at Bangkok’s King’s Cup International Tournament in 1962. Won the Men’s Singles title at the same event in 1963.[5]
  • Represented India at the Commonwealth Games in Jamaica in 1966.[15]
  • Awarded Meritorious Service Award by the IBF in 1989.[16]
  • Honoured at the Jagatik Marathi Parishad in Mauritius in 1991.[15]
  • Awarded Life-time Achievement Award by the Petroleum Sports Control Board of India in January 2001.[17]
  • Awarded Sahyadri Navratna Puraskar in 2002, titled Ratna Saurabh.[15]

References

  1. ^ "Nandu Natekar passes away: India's 'first superstar of badminton' had a Pune connection". Indian Express Limited. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  2. ^ "Reference India: M-R". 2003.
  3. ^ "Nandu Natekar, India's first badminton hero, passes away | Badminton News – Times of India".
  4. ^ a b c d e "Natekar.com". Archived from the original on 7 February 2005. Retrieved 25 December 2007.
  5. ^ a b c PIB.NIC.IN
  6. ^ a b WebIndia123
  7. ^ In the years 1955,1956,1958,1960,1961,1963 – Badminton India Archives – Men's Doubles
  8. ^ In the years 1953,1954,1958,1960,1961,1965 – Badminton India Archives – Men's Singles
  9. ^ In the years 1953,1954,1961,1966,1970 – Badminton India Archives – Mixed Doubles
  10. ^ "Ruia College – Awards and Distinctions". Archived from the original on 5 January 2008. Retrieved 25 December 2007.
  11. ^ Indian Express (newspaper)[permanent dead link]
  12. ^ Scroll Staff. "Indian badminton legend Nandu Natekar dies at 88". Scroll.in. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  13. ^ "Indian badminton great Nandu Natekar passes away". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  14. ^ Badminton India Archives – Individual Championships
  15. ^ a b c d e Indiantelevision.com
  16. ^ Badminton India Archives – Awards
  17. ^ "The Hindu (newspaper)". Archived from the original on 4 March 2007. Retrieved 25 December 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)

External links