Kolkata, Jan 23 (Agency) Calcutta Sports Journalists Club (CSJC) announced on Monday that it would present the Lifetime Achievement Award.to Padma Shree Deepa Malik and former world champion in billiards Manoj Kothari at its annual awards programme on January 24. The awards programme will be held at the Mandarmani Sea Resort on Wednesday. Deepa, the first Indian woman to win a medal in the Paralympic Games in 2016, will light up the evening, in which a host of other star athletes will also be awarded. Former World Billiards champion (1990) and chief national cuesports coach Manoj Kothari will also receive the Lifetime Achievement award, while Sourav Kothari will receive the Best Sportsperson of the Year award along with Mehuli Ghosh. Bengal pacer Mukesh Kumar and wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh will receive the best cricketer’s award, and Mohammedan Sporting Club’s David Lalhlansanga will get the best footballer’s award.
The award winners are:Special award (gymnastic): Tampa DebnathSpecial award (cue sports): Neeta KothariSpecial award (para): S SatyanarayanState Awards: Best Cricketer (Men): Mukesh KumarBest Cricketer (Women): Richa GhoshBest Footballer: David LalhlansangaBest Athlete: Sonia BaishyaBest Gymnast: Pranati DasBest volleyball player: Sk SarifBest Swimmer (para): Rimo SahaBest Archer: Juyel SarkarBest Shooter: Swarnali RoyBest Chess Player: Neelash SahaBest TT player (men): Ankur BhattacharyaBest TT player (women): Poymantee BaisyaThe CSJC also hailed Indian athletics in the Olympics, saying Indian para-athletes created history by ending their Hangzhou Asian Para Games campaign.with an unprecedented 111 medals, the biggest haul for the country in any major international multi-sport event.