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Badminton ace Gautam Thakkar no more |
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By: A Correspondent |
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Date:
2008-08-14 |
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Place: - |
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WILL BE MISSED: Gautam Thakkar | The badminton fraternity mourned the death of former Asian junior badminton champion Gautam Thakkar (61), who passed away yesterday.
"We were eager to meet him after learning about his illness, but he kept everyone away. Probably, he did not want us to see him suffering. We kept a track of his health through common friends though," said former badminton great Nandu Natekar from Pune.
"It is a big loss for Mumbai badminton. He could have played longer but I think he gave up early to look after his family business," added Natekar.
Former international Uday Pawar said, "He was a behind-the-scenes worker. He would quietly go about doing his bit for badminton."
Thakkar helped Pawar to set up his badminton academy at the Andheri Sports Complex. "He always worked for the upliftment of the sport," he said.
Stylish
Thakkar was not an aggressive player, similar to his nature, said former player and well-known coach Manohar Godse. "He had a simple game, but was very stylish. He was a handsome man too.
"He was very jovial, the heart of every gathering," recalled Godse, who only two weeks ago, sent him a 'get well soon' card.
Sports promoter Sanjiv Saran said Thakkar did his best to promote sports at the Bombay Gymkhana and was known for his " transparency and excellent work delegation skills."
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