Indian cricket coach Gurcharan Singh was honored with the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian awards, for his exemplary coaching of Delhi and India cricketers. Joining him in receiving the prestigious Padma Awards were Kalarippayattu exponent S.R.D. Prasad Gurukkal and Thang Ta guru K Shanathoiba Sharma, both of whom have made significant contributions to their respective sports.
Gurcharan, 87, whose playing career was limited to first-class cricket, is renowned for having produced twelve international cricketers and over a hundred domestic players – from Kirti Azad to Ajay Jadeja, Maninder Singh to the more recent Murali Karthik – he has shaped their careers and profoundly impacted their lives.
He had also honed the skills of left-arm spinners Pradeep Jain and Sukvinder Singh, both of whom have made a name for themselves in domestic cricket. His list of proteges includes hundreds of cricketers who have represented various states in the domestic circuit.
Born in Rawalpindi in 1935, Singh arrived in Patiala as a refugee after India’s partition in 1947. Under the watchful eye of Maharaja of Patiala Yadavindra Singh, he began his cricketing journey, representing teams such as Patiala, Patiala and Eastern Punjab States Union, Southern Punjab and Railways. After playing 37 First-class matches, he eventually became a coach.
Gurcharan Singh earned a coaching diploma from the National Institute of Sports in Patiala before joining the Sports Authority of India centre in New Delhi as the head coach. During his illustrious coaching career, he served as the head coach of North Zone from 1977 to 1983, as the head coach of Maldives in 1985, and as the coach of the Indian cricket team from 1986 to 1987.
In 1992-93, he joined the Pace Bowling Academy as its director, a joint venture between the Laxmibhai National College of Physical Education and the BCCI in Gwalior. In 1987, he was bestowed with the prestigious Dronacharya Award, becoming only the second cricket coach after Desh Prem Azad to be honored with India’s highest sports coaching accolade.
Singh established the Dronacharya Cricket Foundation in Delhi, in addition to managing two cricket clubs, Delhi Blues and National Stadium Cricket Centre. He has dedicated himself to providing aspiring cricketers with the resources and guidance they need to reach their full potential.
Earlier this year, Gurcharan stepped up to the occasion during a thrilling contest between the Delhi Veterans cricket team and the Old Patelians Cricket Association, with the legendary coach representing the latter.
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