Nandu Natekar Explained
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. 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.[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.
- Recipient of the first Arjuna Award instituted in 1961.
- Voted the most popular sportsperson of India in 1961.
- 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.
- Represented India at the Commonwealth Games in Jamaica in 1966.
- Awarded Meritorious Service Award by the IBF in 1989.[16]
- Honoured at the Jagatik Marathi Parishad in Mauritius in 1991.
- 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.
Notes and References
- Web site: Nandu Natekar passes away: India’s ‘first superstar of badminton’ had a Pune connection. Indian Express Limited. 29 July 2021. 23 February 2024.
- Web site: Reference India: M-R. 2003.
- Web site: Nandu Natekar, India's first badminton hero, passes away | Badminton News – Times of India.
- Web site: Natekar.com . 25 December 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20050207092912/http://natekar.com/abusn.htm . 7 February 2005 . dead .
- http://pib.nic.in/feature/feyr2003/fjan2003/f220120031.html PIB.NIC.IN
- http://www.webindia123.com/Sports/badminton/badmin.htm WebIndia123
- In the years 1955,1956,1958,1960,1961,1963 – Badminton India Archives – Men's Doubles
- In the years 1953,1954,1958,1960,1961,1965 – Badminton India Archives – Men's Singles
- In the years 1953,1954,1961,1966,1970 – Badminton India Archives – Mixed Doubles
- Web site: Ruia College – Awards and Distinctions . 25 December 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080105122728/http://www.ruiacollege.edu/awards_%26_distinctions.htm . 5 January 2008 . dead .
- http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie/daily/19990311/isp11081.html Indian Express (newspaper)
- Web site: Scroll Staff. Indian badminton legend Nandu Natekar dies at 88. 28 July 2021. Scroll.in. en-US.
- Web site: Indian badminton great Nandu Natekar passes away. 28 July 2021. www.telegraphindia.com.
- http://www.badmintonindia.org/archives/championships_individual.htm Badminton India Archives – Individual Championships
- http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k2/apr/apr101a.htm Indiantelevision.com
- http://www.badmintonindia.org/archives/archives/a_IBFMS.htm Badminton India Archives – Awards
- Web site: The Hindu (newspaper) . 25 December 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070304224533/http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/01/30/stories/07300964.htm . 4 March 2007 . usurped .
