New Delhi: Indian captain Virat Kohli has postponed the RP-SG Indian Sports Honours, which was to take place on Saturday, as a “mark of respect” to the CRPF personnel martyred in the Pulwama militants attack.
On Thursday, at least 40 CRPF paramilitary troopers were killed in a terror attack while several others are battling for their lives following what is being termed as the deadliest terrorist strike in three decades in Jammu and Kashmir.
Indian Sports Honours is an initiative of Virat Kohli Foundation and RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group. “The RP-SG Indian Sports Honours has been postponed. At this heavy moment of loss that we all find ourselves in, we would like to cancel this event that was scheduled to take place tomorrow,” Kohli wrote on his twitter handle Friday night.
The sporting fraternity, including Kohli, had joined the country in condemning the dastardly attack.
The batting mainstay annually rewards excellence in sports and nurtures promising athletes through his foundation.
India’s Sportstar magazine, which celebrates it’s 40th Anniversary this year, reinstated its iconic Sportstar Aces Award which used to be held in the 1990s with the honour going to Kohli.
The award, which has been previously won by sporting heroes like Sachin Tendulkar, Vishvanathan Anand and Leander Paes, is a means to recognise the contribution of sportspersons to their respective sport and inspire others to follow.
The awards jury consisted of sporting legends Sunil Gavaskar, M. M. Somaya, Anju Bobby George, Anjali Bhagwat and N. Ram, Chairman of The Hindu Group Publishing. Guided by fan votes, the jury recognised sporting achievements in the 2018 calendar year.
Kohli has been honoured with the Sportsman of the Year (Cricket) award this year, owing to his record-breaking performances as well as leading India to their first ever Test series win in Australia.
Earlier on Friday, India named the following squads for the two Twenty20 and five One-day International matches against Australia starting on February 24.
