'A Santa Clause of city sports has lost'

Nagpur, Nov 19

The city sports fraternity has paid rich tributes to noted sports organiser Atal Bahadur Singh who was associated with football and hockey for a long time and played an important role in the development of sports in the city.

Atal Bahadur was hospitalised at Shanti Mohan Hospital, Sadar for more than one month, where he breathed his last today afternoon.

Apart from football and hockey, he has associated with other sports organizations also. He served NDFA president since 1986. Then in 2015 he decided to step down and proposed the name of Haresh Vora as his successor. Till then he continued as NDFA patron. In the year 1979 Sardar Atal Bahadur Singh was elected president. He was vice president of Western India Football Association (WIFA0 for a period of 20 years He started Gold Cup Football Tournament when he was first time Mayor. He was the first person in Nagpur who popularised prize distribution in cash and kind not only in football but in a hockey, cricket,chess etc He was called as Santa Claus in the sports field in Nagpur

While recognising his services towards football Sardar Atal Bahadur Singh was honoured with Lifetime Achievement award by the Maharashtra Government. The Sports Journalists' Association (SJAN) had also honoured him by Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013 dring annual prize distribution function. In the emergency meeting of exicutive members of NDFA held. At Dr.Amedkar Stadium Suyog Nagar floral tributes were paid to the departed soul.

NDFA president Haresh Vora while paying tributes said, “ Our association will definitely fill the vaccume of advisor Sardar Atal Bahadur Singh. He was a selfless worker in all field of sports and social work. The association will give best player award in the elite division football tournament in his memory.

An administrator of Vidarbha Hockey Association and Shiv Chhatrapati awardee TN Sidhra said, “ We pray Almighty God to rest the departed soul of Sardar Atal Bahadur Singh in heaven. Its a great loss to the field of sports. He was a great politician, sports organiser and had worked on several sports committees. Myself and VHA express heartfelt condolence,” he said.

While paying tributes to the departed soul director of Department of Sports and Physical Education of RTM Nagpur University and the secretary of Nagpur District Athletics Association Dr Sharad Suryavanshi said, “ I had good personal relations with him. He always helped us in organising the athletics events. In fact he was the organising committee chairman of Federation Cup Cross Country, which is known as one of the biggest athletics events so far in the city. Apart from it during his tenure as Nagpur mayor the NDAA hosted Inter-University West Zone Championship. We have lost a good sports organiser,” he said.