G. Viswanath, Ex-President, SJFI
MUMBAI: The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) – India’s most successful association in the National Cricket Championship for the Ranji Trophy and founding member of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) – took a trailblazing call to honour sports journalists who have promoted the game from the grassroots level in the city of Bombay (now Mumbai) to international cricket since the 1960s.
Recently the MCA – following a suggestion from the Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai (which is a founder member of the Sports Journalists’ Federation of India (SJFI) put up a Honours Board that acknowledged the contribution made by 35 sports journalists, all deceased. The Honours Board has been put up in the dining area of the state of the art press box which has a capacity to seat 150 plus sports journalists.
The MCA call was driven by its young president Mr. Ajinkya Naik and the association’s Apex Council of which Dr. Unmesh Khanvilkar – a dentist- doctor by profession – is the Secretary and Mr. Nilesh Bhosle is the Jt. Secretary.
The SJAM placed a proposal to the MCA during the Golden Jubilee of the Wankhede Stadium and Mr. Naik impressed upon his Committee to put up the Honours Board and join some of the associations in England and Australia which has honoured their cricket writers.
Mr. Naik said: ‘The Honours Board recognises and celebrates the invaluable contribution of Mumbai’s sports journalists to the growth, documentation and promotion of cricket in the city. It has been instituted as a mark of respect for members of the media who have dedicated decades to covering the game and shaping its narrative.”
“Mumbai’s cricketing legacy has been built not only by players on the field but also by journalists who have chronicled its journey with integrity and passion. The MCA deeply values its longstanding relationship with the city’s sports journalists. The Honours Board is a small but meaningful tribute to their dedication and contribution to the game in our city,” Naik said.
The MCA Secretary Prof. Dr. Unmesh Khanvilkar added, “Sports journalists have been an important part of Mumbai cricket for many years. Through their consistent coverage, they have preserved Mumbai’s rich cricketing history, bringing the sport closer to the people. With this Honours Board, MCA recognises their hard work and longstanding association with Mumbai cricket.”
Around 200 sports journalists were present at the unveiling of the Honours Board by Mr. Naik and the Apex Council members and the SJAM president G. Viswanath and Secretary Clayton Murzello.
The Honours Board has the following names of sports journalists who have promoted the noble game of cricket in the city and also Mumbai’s cricketers.
K. N. Prabhu – The Times of India
Recently the MCA – following a suggestion from the Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai (which is a founder member of the Sports Journalists’ Federation of India (SJFI) put up a Honours Board that acknowledged the contribution made by 35 sports journalists, all deceased. The Honours Board has been put up in the dining area of the state of the art press box which has a capacity to seat 150 plus sports journalists.
The MCA call was driven by its young president Mr. Ajinkya Naik and the association’s Apex Council of which Dr. Unmesh Khanvilkar – a dentist- doctor by profession – is the Secretary and Mr. Nilesh Bhosle is the Jt. Secretary.
The SJAM placed a proposal to the MCA during the Golden Jubilee of the Wankhede Stadium and Mr. Naik impressed upon his Committee to put up the Honours Board and join some of the associations in England and Australia which has honoured their cricket writers.
Mr. Naik said: ‘The Honours Board recognises and celebrates the invaluable contribution of Mumbai’s sports journalists to the growth, documentation and promotion of cricket in the city. It has been instituted as a mark of respect for members of the media who have dedicated decades to covering the game and shaping its narrative.”
“Mumbai’s cricketing legacy has been built not only by players on the field but also by journalists who have chronicled its journey with integrity and passion. The MCA deeply values its longstanding relationship with the city’s sports journalists. The Honours Board is a small but meaningful tribute to their dedication and contribution to the game in our city,” Naik said.
The MCA Secretary Prof. Dr. Unmesh Khanvilkar added, “Sports journalists have been an important part of Mumbai cricket for many years. Through their consistent coverage, they have preserved Mumbai’s rich cricketing history, bringing the sport closer to the people. With this Honours Board, MCA recognises their hard work and longstanding association with Mumbai cricket.”
Around 200 sports journalists were present at the unveiling of the Honours Board by Mr. Naik and the Apex Council members and the SJAM president G. Viswanath and Secretary Clayton Murzello.
The Honours Board has the following names of sports journalists who have promoted the noble game of cricket in the city and also Mumbai’s cricketers.
K. N. Prabhu – The Times of India
Pradeep K. Vijayakar – The Times of India
V. V. Karmarkar – Maharashtra Times
Ron Hendricks – Indian Express
Saby Fernandes – Indian Express
S. K. Sham – Free Press Journal (+ The Independent)
Suhas K. Agashe – United News of India (UNI)
Surendra Modi – Janmabhoomi / Pravasi
Sharad Kotnis – Sportsweek / Mid-Day
Dicky Rutnagur – Freelancer
Suresh Saraiya – Freelancer
Vinod Vasudeo – Freelancer
Sundar Rajan – The Times of India
Girish Dixit – The Times of India
Chandrashekhar P. Sant – Maharashtra Times
A. T. P. Sarathy – Indian Express (+ The Daily)
Suryakant Hattangadkar – Loksatta
Thomas Rocha – Free Press Journal
Gautam Sathe – United News of India (UNI)
Haresh Munwani – Sportsworld
Raju Bharatan – Illustrated Weekly of India
A. F. S. Talyarkhan – Freelancer
Dwarkanath Sanzgiri – Freelancer
Albert D’Souza – Freelancer
G. K. Menon – The Times of India (+ Indian Express)
William Couto – The Times of India
Shivshankar Singh – Navbharat Times
Rajan Bala – Indian Express (+ Afternoon Dispatch & Courier)
Atmaram More – Loksatta
S. V. Seshadri – Press Trust of India (PTI)
Dara Pochkhanawalla – Mumbai Samachar
Vivek Bendre – The Hindu (+ The Indian Express)
Javed Akhtar – The Daily (+ Mid-Day)
Anant Setalvad – Freelancer
Jayant Nene – Freelancer
Gopal Bhat – Freelancer
Ron Hendricks – Indian Express
Saby Fernandes – Indian Express
S. K. Sham – Free Press Journal (+ The Independent)
Suhas K. Agashe – United News of India (UNI)
Surendra Modi – Janmabhoomi / Pravasi
Sharad Kotnis – Sportsweek / Mid-Day
Dicky Rutnagur – Freelancer
Suresh Saraiya – Freelancer
Vinod Vasudeo – Freelancer
Sundar Rajan – The Times of India
Girish Dixit – The Times of India
Chandrashekhar P. Sant – Maharashtra Times
A. T. P. Sarathy – Indian Express (+ The Daily)
Suryakant Hattangadkar – Loksatta
Thomas Rocha – Free Press Journal
Gautam Sathe – United News of India (UNI)
Haresh Munwani – Sportsworld
Raju Bharatan – Illustrated Weekly of India
A. F. S. Talyarkhan – Freelancer
Dwarkanath Sanzgiri – Freelancer
Albert D’Souza – Freelancer
G. K. Menon – The Times of India (+ Indian Express)
William Couto – The Times of India
Shivshankar Singh – Navbharat Times
Rajan Bala – Indian Express (+ Afternoon Dispatch & Courier)
Atmaram More – Loksatta
S. V. Seshadri – Press Trust of India (PTI)
Dara Pochkhanawalla – Mumbai Samachar
Vivek Bendre – The Hindu (+ The Indian Express)
Javed Akhtar – The Daily (+ Mid-Day)
Anant Setalvad – Freelancer
Jayant Nene – Freelancer
Gopal Bhat – Freelancer
