Committed to development of sports: Mayor

She was speaking at the third Bhau Kane Memorial Outstanding Coach Award ceremony organised by Nav Maharashtra Krida Mandal (NMKM) and Chaitanya Sports, Yoga and Cultural Foundation at the auditorium of the Shikshak Sahakari Bank near Gandhi Sagar Lake, Mahal. Orthopedic specialist Dr. Anil Golhar, NMKM president Dhananjay Kane, and secretary Prashant Jagtap were also present on the occasion.

During the ceremony, senior boxing coach Ganesh Purohit was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the dignitaries. As part of the award, he received a cash prize of ₹1 lakh, a special memento, a shawl, and a coconut. In addition, Mahendra Patil and Shamsher Khan were honored as the best kho-kho and athletics coaches respectively. Each received a cash prize of ₹21,000 and a memento.

A proud moment for me: Purohit

Speaking on the occasion, Purohit said that it was a moment of joy and pride for him. He remarked that when a coach is honored, it is an honor for the entire society. He also said that one should continue working selflessly without expecting any award, a lesson they had learned from Bhau Kane himself.

Shamsher Khan said that he too had benefited from the guidance of Bhau Kane. Dr. Golhar also shared memories of Bhau Kane during the event. Charulata Naigaonkar introduced the guests, while Vishakha Joshi introduced Purohit. Dr. Neelima Pohane and Yogesh Ghughuskar introduced Shamsher and Mahendra respectively. Shirish Bhagat delivered the introductory speech, Naresh Shelke conducted the programme and Manoj Balpande proposed the vote of thanks. A large number of sports lovers, coaches, and players attended the event.