Panesar declared Sport Personality of the Year

LONDON: England's only Sikh cricketer Monty Panesar has been chosen as Sport Personality of the Year at the Asian Achievers Award 2007.

At a glittering ceremony held at the Hilton Hotel, Park Lane, on Saturday night, Lord Karan Billimoria, leading NRI entrepreneur presented the award to Panesar.

Lord Navnit Dholakia, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats bagged the Editor's Award while Prof Nathuram Puri, NRI industrialist received Business Community Award.

Other recipients were Naynesh Desai (Professional of the Year), Ratilal Devchand Shah (Achievement in Community Service), Renu Patel (Achievement in media/Art and Culture), Firoz Kassam (Lifetime Achievement award), Dalip Kumar (Young Entrepreneur of the year and Shriti Vadera (woman of the year).

Prominent among those present on the occasion were Keith Vaz, leading NRI Labour MP and former minister, S Jagadeesan, Minister, Economics in the Indian High Commission, Lord Bhiku Parikh and Yoga Guru Swami Ramdev.