Chawrasia, Deepa honoured at Calcutta Sports Journalists’ Club annual awards

Kolkata, April 11 (IANS) Golfer SSP Chawrasia, who has won the Indian Open champion twice, and the country's lone woman Paralympic medallist Deepa Malik were conferred the Sportsperson of the Year and Inspiration of the Year awards respectively at the annual function of the Calcutta Sports Journalists Club (CSJC) here on Tuesday.

Chawrasia received the award amidst loud applause at the ICCR auditorium here.

"Without journalists nobody will know sportspersons. I hope this award becomes a lucky charm as I get ready for tournaments in Japan, China and England," Chawrasia told the audience.

Deepa, who bagged a silver medal in shot put on a wheelchair in the Rio Paralympics last year, had to skip the event due to family engagements.

"This means a lot to me. It is good that performances of athletes in Paralympics is being covered," Deepa said through a video message.

India wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, currently playing for Kings XI Punjab in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), was hounoured with a special award. His wife, Debarati, received it on behalf of the Bengal cricketer.

Members of the Bengal Santosh Trophy team, including captain Rana Gharami, scorer of the winning goal in the final against Goa Manvir Singh and coach Mridul Banerjee, got special awards for their feat.

Special awards were also given to Pranab Nandy, coach of the Bengal under-19 team that emerged as the Cooch Behar Trophy champion, and Anindita Chakraborty for helping Bengal become the national table tennis champion.

Former Bengal and East Zone coach and current Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) match referee Satayabrata (Raju) Mukherjee, country's second Grandmaster Dibyendu Barua and member of the 1970 Asian Games bronze medal winning football team Shyam Thapa, who is also the chairman of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) technical committee, were honoured with lifetime achievement awards.

The award winners: Sportsperson of the year: SSP Chawrasia; Junior sportsperson of the year: Saurav Singh; Inspiration of the year: Deepa Malik.

Athletes of the year: Mohammed Rafique and Jeje Lalpekhlua (football); Abhimanyu Easwaran (cricket); Moumita Dutta (table tennis); Atanu Das (archery); Sathi Dolui (hockey); Chandan Bauri and Rajashree Prasad (athletics, men and women winners respectively); Utsava Palit (badminton); Sitamoni Tudu (basketball); Tithi Dhara (volleyball); Arpita Mukherjee (chess); Moupriya Mitra (aquatics-diving).

Special awards: Wriddhiman Saha (cricket), Mridul Banerjee (football), Anindita Chakraborty (table tennis), Pranab Nandy (cricket), Manvir Singh (football), Rana Gharami (football).

Lifetime achievement awards: Satayabrata (Raju) Mukherjee (cricket), Dibyendu Barua (chess), Shyam Thapa (football).