Ramakant Achrekar is happy that his Padma award came on the day when his famous student reached a milestone.
Ramakant Achrekar is watching the evening news at his modest Shivaji Park apartment. A news report of the imminent threat by the Shiv Sena to stop Australian players from playing in Mumbai during the Indian Premier League doesn’t interest him as much as the clippings of the second day’s play of the Dhaka Test.
In the living room, there isn’t much to suggest that this is the abode of one of India’s most successful cricket gurus. A golden plaque that has the pictures of Achrekar, Sachin Tendulkar, Vinod Kambli and Praveen Amre is the only give away.
He follows the game closely on television. There are days when he watches television late into the night,” Achrekar’s daughter Kalpana says. “He watched the Test match today,” she adds.
Seventy-eight-year-old Achrekar was informed in the morning that he had received the Padma Shri following a phone call from the sports ministers’ office. “He is happy of course. This is a big honour. He has already received the Dronacharya award. That was really special for him,” Kalpana adds.
For someone who has moulded the careers of some of the country’s most famous cricketing sons, it is only natural that the Dronacharya holds a special place in his heart. Achrekar does survey the maidans even these days, though his health doesn’t permit him to be on the field as much as he would have liked. “Whenever I feel like I go out and watch budding cricketers play. I still enjoy going out to the maidans,” Achrekar says.
On Monday, Achrekar didn’t miss watching his most famous ward in action. Talk to him about a Tendulkar century and it still brings a sparkle to his eye. “It is lovely that I got to know about my award on the same day as Sachin scored his century. I try and watch most of the matches on television,” he says.
Tendulkar’s 143 was his 90th century in international cricket. His coach has no doubt in his mind that Tendulkar will hit 100 centuries. “He is playing well. There is no reason he shouldn’t reach the century landmark. Hundred international centuries he will score,” he adds. There isn’t any fanfare or celebration in the Achrekar household on Monday evening.
Little surprise, as for both the coach and his most famous ward, this is just another feather in the cap.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=tracking}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}