Purse & plaudits for Dilip Vengsarkar's coach Hemant Hadkar

Dilip Vengsarkar and Hemant Hadkar pose with a picture of 1971 Giles Shield-winning King George school team yesterday. Pic/Bipin Kokate

When Ajit Wadekar's Indian team were on their way to a historic series win in the West Indies during the first half of 1971, a future India player was making a name on Mumbai's inter-school circuit. Dilip Vengsarkar, then 15 and coached by Hemant Hadkar, led King George to a Giles Shield win that year.

Vengsarkar and other well wishers of the veteran coach, contributed to present Hadkar a R3 lakh cheque yesterday for his 51 years of uninterrupted coaching. "Hadkar Sir (90 next March) is still coaching and I must say that he [Hadkar] and Vasu Paranjape (noted coach) did not expect anything in return. They indulged in selfless coaching," said Vengsarkar.

Apart from Vengsarkar, Mumbai Cricket Association's (MCA) ex-joint secretaries Vilas Godbole and Dr PV Shetty along with noted surgeon Dr Shailesh Shrikhande spoke on Hadkar whose Matunga Gymkhana nets open at 6.30 am at Dadkar Maidan. "I never expected such a function. I was in tears when I heard my students paying tributes to me. They have given me a very warm felicitation," said Hadkar.

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