On 13th July 2020, the 70 years old Legendary Hockey Player Ashok Kumar, key player of the 1975 World Cup winning Indian Hockey team was honoured with the Lifetime achievement award by the Kolkata based football club – Mohun Bagan Athletic Club on its foundation day over the virtual ceremony.
Mohun Bagan Day:
Every year 29th July is celebrated as the Mohun Bagan Day commemorating their victory against East Yorkshire Regiment 2-1 in 1911 Indian Football Association (IFA) Shield, becoming the first Indian Club to defeat British.
Events of 2020 Mohun Bagan Day:
i.The Club decided not to celebrate any physical programme for 2020 Mohun Bagan Day on 29th July 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic.
ii.The awards will be personally presented to the awardees available in Kolkata and for the other awardees the award will be handed after the pandemic.
Ashok Kumar:
i.Ashok Kumar is the son of Hockey wizard Dhyan Chand.
ii.He represented Bengal in the late 1960 and was later selected to the Indian Hockey team.
iii.He won silver medals in the three consecutive Asian Games of 1970, 1974 and 1978.
iv.He also won the bronze and silver in the 1971 and 1973 World Cups and won the gold for India in 1975 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur against Pakistan.
v.He won the bronze medal in the Munich Olympic games in 1972.
Other awards and awardees:
i.The 2020 Mohun Bagan Ratna will be presented to Gurbux Singh former Indian Hockey player and Palash Nandi former Bengal cricketer and coach.
Note:
- This is the first time that Mohun Bagan Ranta is not awarded to anyone from football discipline apart from 2007 when Dhiren Dey was awarded posthumously.
- Keshav Datt was the first person from non-football discipline to get this award.
ii.Lifetime Achievement award will be presented to Pranab Ganguly (Football) and Monoranjan Porel (Athletics) in addition to Ashok Kumar (Hockey),
iii.Best Footballer Award will be given to Joseba Beitia of senior category and the Best Youth Player is awarded to Sajal Bag of Under 18 football team.
About Mohun Bagan Athletic Club:
President– Swapan Sadhan Bose
Headquarters– Kolkata, West Bengal
Founded– 1889
