Indian sportspersons get true recognition for their blood, sweat and tearsThe setting was perfect for a glittering Sahara awards night. Members of the jury were welcomed with vociferous cheers as they made their way to the venue. And not surprisingly, the loudest cheers welcomed the legendary Sunil Gavaskar, a man whose name has been drawn into several controversies of late.Lofty introductions were followed by an inspiring video package featuring some of the awards' nominees and also initiatives taken by the Sahara India Group for betterment of Indian sport. Hockey great Manohar Topno (centre) receives his Unsung Hero award from Dhanraj Pillay and national badminton coach P Gopichand. Pic/Santosh NagwekarAnd when things got down to business at the awards, supported by the Sports Journalists Federation of India,u00a0 Souwmya Swaminathan was announced as the Young Achiever in the female category. Budding trap shooter, Asher Noria walked away with the same award in the male category. A special mention was made for the performances of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponappa, who later accompanied India speedster S Sreesanth on the stage. The troika were in complete sync when they danced. Later, the Kerala maverick set the stage on fire with his electrifying performance. His performance received the biggest cheers. All of Sreesanth's India teammates cheered him from the front row.There was a touch of emotion when Sachin Tendulkar was presented the Cricketer of the Year award by his former teammates Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble. For the first time I am getting an opportunity to thank all the great sportspersons of India. We are all extremely proud of your achievements at the Commonwealth Games, Tendulkar said after receiving the award.Vishwanathan Anand won the Memorable Moment of the Year award for successfully defending his world title at Sophia. It was a touching moment when legendary India footballer H Hameed was bestowed with the Unsung Hero award. He was also given Rs five lakh. The video that preceded his award presentation was truly touching. Legendary hockey defender 'Black diamond' Manohar Topno was the other recipient of the Unsung Hero award and walked away with Rs five lakh too.Both the unsung heroes spoke about being let down by sports administrators and the financial problems they faced over the last three decades. Sahara boss Suborto Roy came on stage to announce the prize money of Rs 25 lakh for all the legendary sports people facing financial turmoil.Other important awardsBoxer Mary Kom won the best sportswoman of the year awardWrestler Sushil Kumar won the best sportsman of the year award. Leander Paes' Davis Cup team clinched the team of the year award