Date: January 19, 2009
Calcutta: State sports minister Subhas Chakraborty on Sunday appealed to the Calcutta University to confer the honorary D.Litt. on Sourav Ganguly for his contribution to the game. Chief guest Chakraborty made the appeal at the former India captain’s felicitation, organised by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), at Eden Gardens. Coming as it did from someone who is not known to have a soft corner for the former India captain, the announcement drew huge applause.
Not long ago Chakraborty had unkind words for the most successful India captain when asked if he would be honoured along with Diego Maradona on the same dais. But Sunday was different. For someone, who has inspired a generation of Bengalis to dream and achieve the ultimate, it was about basking in the glory and reminiscing the good old days.
Sourav arrived well before the scheduled 6 pm start immaculately dressed in a striped grey suit. The backdrop to the podium was neatly done up with a collage of pictures from his playing days. Christened ‘Celebrating a Legend’, the evening started with CAB president Jagmohan Dalmiya recalling Sourav’s debut in first class cricket — the Ranji final versus Delhi at the Eden 1989-90 — in his speech.
“Sourav walked in with Bengal reeling at 57 for three. He made a sweet 22 that included five boundaries,” a nostalgic Dalmiya said. “Aptly, he decided to quit first-class cricket playing for Bengal, his 69 versus Goa ensuring our promotion to the Elite group. If the debut innings was flamboyance personified, the last showed his maturity.”
Dalmiya went on to describe Sourav as a “leader who rescued India from a period of crisis”. Chakraborty, accompanied by Dalmiya, handed over the golden bat to Sourav amid showering of confetti and display of fireworks. An overwhelmed Sourav said: “The last time I had so much glitter on me was during daughter Sana’s birthday.
“It gives me immense pleasure to be present here. I’ve spent my entire life at this ground… The first time I came here was when I was 13 and I represented Bengal in a U-15 game versus Orissa. This is one of the best grounds and I consider myself lucky and privileged to have played here. I can’t remember having lost a Test match here,” Sourav said in his sweet speech.
He didn’t forget to thank his teammates at various stages of his career and the officials for supporting him. “Mr Dalmiya has always been a huge support,” he reminded. On his association with Bengal cricket, Sourav said: “It’s an honour to be part of Bengal cricket. I consider myself extremely lucky that I played my last game for the state. I want to congratulate coach Utpal Chatterjee and captain Laxmi Ratan Shukla for putting Bengal back on the Elite group.
“It’s been no mean achievement. They may have lost in the quarter finals but getting back to Elite is in itself creditable after seven of their players had switched over to the Indian Cricket League. He also did not forget to mention his dad, Chandi, on this momentous occasion. “I wish my father was here today… He’s not well and in hospital. None of my family members are here too… I wish he was here to give me the award,” Sourav signed off.
An audio-visual presentation on the icon’s career rounded off the impeccably planned and organised 40-minute felicitation. The documentary presented in detail his glorious career — from failing to make an impact in his one-day debut in Australia in 1992 to the century on Test debut at Lord’s in 1996, from the historic series win against Australia in Chennai 2001 to getting dropped in 2005, from making a comeback in South Africa a year later to going out on his own terms in 2008.
The biggest applause during the telecast was reserved for his shirt-waving act at Lord’s. Former CAB president Siddhartha Shankar Ray and chairman Board of Trustees P.B. Dutta also spoke on the occasion. Guest of honour Somnath Chatterjee couldn’t make it to the function. The Board of Control for Cricket in India functionaries were conspicuous by their absence.
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