Nandu M. Natekar

Nandu Natekar is a former Indian badminton national champion.

Natekar has won over 100^[1] national and international titles for India in a career spanning 15 years.^[1] Natekar was the first Indian to win a title abroad, in 1956.^[2][3] Natekar is a director of Natekar Sports and Fitness (NSF).

He won the Men's Doubles National Championship a total of six times,^[4] Men's Singles National Championship a total of six times,^[5] and Mixed Doubles National Championship a total of five times.^[6]

He is an alumnus of Ramnarain Ruia College, Mumbai.^[7] His son, Gaurav Natekar, is a seven-time Indian National Champion in tennis.^[8]

Achievements

• Won National level Men's Singles and Doubles Championship, as well as Mixed Doubles, multiple times in India.^[1][9]
• He has reached the last 8 in the All England Championships.
• Included among 'the Greats' in a souvenir published by Malaysia during the Thomas Cup series in 1954-55.^[10]
• Men’s Singles Champion in the Selangor International Tournament in Kuala Lumpur in 1956. His victory was also the first international victory by an Indian badminton player.^[2][3]
• Recipient of the first Arjuna Award instituted in 1961.^[1][10]
• Voted the most popular sportsperson of India in 1961.^[1]
• Natekar and Meena Shaw won the Mixed Doubles title at Bangkok’s King’s Cup International Tournament in 1962. Won the Men’s Singles title at the same event in 1963.^[2]
• Represented India at the Commonwealth Games in Jamaica in 1965.^[10]
• Awarded Meritorious Service Award by the IBF in 1989.^[11]
• Honoured at the Jagatik Marathi Parishad in Mauritius in 1991.^[10]
• Awarded Life-time Achievement Award by the Petroleum Sports Control Board of India in January, 2001.^[12]
• Awarded Sahyadri Navratna Puraskar in 2002, titled Ratna Saurabh.^[10]

References