India’s first Arjuna Award winner Badminton legend Nadakumar Mahadeo Natekar popularly known as Nandu Natekar is no more. He passed away today at his Pune residence. He was 88. Natekar had won over 100 national and international Badminton titles for India in his career of fifteen years.
Nandu Natekar
He was the first Indian to win a title abroad in 1956. He won the Selangor International Badminton Tournament this year at Kuala Lumpur. He also reached the last 8 in All England Championship and had represented India at the Commonwealth games in Jamaica in 1966.
Nandu Natekar with Prakash Padukone and P. Gopichand
Recipient of the first Arjuna Award instituted in 1961, Nandu Natekar had won National Badminton Singles championship six times, National doubles championship six times and National Mixed doubles championship five times. He was conferred with LifeTime Achievement award by the Petroleum Sports Control Board of India in January, 2001. He was director of Natekar Sports and Fitness (NSF).
With his sad demise sports fraternity has lost a soft spoken gentleman and a legend. His son Gaurav an ace tennis player had won seven National championship and as also an Arjuna Award winner. His daughter in law Arati Ponnappa Natekar is also a former Women’s tennis champ who represented India.