Cricketer Robin Uthappa was presented the National Excellence Award for his remarkable contribution to the field of cricket by the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIMK) here on Wednesday.
This is the third edition of the award, presented annually to eminent personalities for their contribution to the world of sports, and to commemorate the IIMK’s iconic Calicut Half Marathon which is now into its 12th year. The event, which is going completely virtual for the first time, is scheduled from April 9 to 11.
Prof. Debashis Chatterjee, Director, IIM-K, gave away the award to Mr. Uttappa. The National Excellence Award is a replica of the IIM-K’s inspirational mnemonic - the “Arise Arjuna” statue.
Presenting the award, Prof. Chatterjee recounted Mr. Uthappa’s immense contribution to cricket and how he ably carried his team forward by demonstrating resilience, focus, and determination - a quality that resonates with the legend of Arjuna. He also fondly recalled the iconic moment when Mr. Uthappa tipped his cap and saluted the crowd after hitting the stumps in.
The award was instituted two years ago, with the first recipient being Para-Olympian and Arjuna awardee Dr Deepa Malik. Ms. Babita Kumari Phogat, renowned wrestler, also an Arjuna awardee, was conferred the award last year.
Mr. Uthappa expressed his gratitude about his cricketing career and relived the days when he shared the stage with cricketers such as Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, and Virendra Sehwag among other Indian cricket legends.
