Ramakant Achrekar

Ramakant Achrekar
Born Malvan,[1] Maharashtra, India
Citizenship Indian
Occupation Cricket coach
Organization Kamath Memorial Cricket Club
Children Kalpana Murkar
Awards Padma Shri
Dronacharya Award

Ramakant Vithal Achrekar (born 1932) is an Indian cricket coach from Mumbai. He is most famous for coaching young cricketers at Shivaji Park in Dadar, Mumbai, most notably Sachin Tendulkar. He has also been a selector for Mumbai cricket team.

Early life and career

Ramakant Vithal Achrekar was born in 1932. Achrekar's playing career was not as distinguished as his coaching career. He started playing cricket in 1943. In 1945, he played club cricket for New Hind Sports Club. He also played for Young Maharashtra XI, Gul Mohar Mills and Mumbai Port. He played in only one first-class cricket match for all-India State Bank against Hyderabad in the Moin-ud-Dowla tournament in 1963–64.

His life and his inspiring career have been documented by journalist Kunal Purandare in the book, Ramakant Achrekar: Master Blaster's Master, the only biography of the renowned coach. The book has garnered critical praise from various publications, including the Wisden India Almanack.

Coaching career

He founded Kamath Memorial Cricket Club at Shivaji Park. He had coached & nurtured numerous cricketers, which includes the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Ajit Agarkar, Chandrakant Pandit, Vinod Kambli & Pravin Amre. He had devoted himself in coaching, to uplift the Indian cricket standards. The club is currently run by his daughter Kalpana Murkar[2][3] and son-in-law Deepak Murkar.

Awards and recognition

  • In 1990, he was honoured with the Dronacharya Award for his services to cricket coaching.[4]
  • In 2010, he was conferred with Padma Shri, one of the country's highest civilian awards in sports category at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on 7 April 2010 by the then Indian President Pratibha Patil.[5]
  • In 2010, on 12 February, he was awarded the 'Lifetime Achievement' award by Gary Kirsten, the then coach of the Indian Cricket Team. This award was part of the awards given away for various categories in sports by Sports Illustrated.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Williams, Richard (21 February 1993). "Cricket: A bat, a ball, and a million dreams". The Independent. London. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  2. ↑ "'We have the talent, our problem is attitude!'". Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  3. ↑ "Play ruins play at Shivaji Park". Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  4. ↑ "Sports Awardees for "Dronacharya Award"". Archived from the original on 20 November 2012. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  5. ↑ "Ramakant Vithal Achrekar gets Padma Shri Awards 2010". The Times of India. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  6. ↑ "Ramakant Achrekar: Coach of Sachin Tendulkar : The True Dronacharya". Retrieved 13 March 2013.
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