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
  1. "Natekar.com". Archived from the original on 7 February 2005. Retrieved 25 December 2007.
  2. PIB.NIC.IN
  3. WebIndia123
  4. In the years 1955,1956,1958,1960,1961,1963 - Badminton India Archives - Men's Doubles
  5. In the years 1953,1954,1958,1960,1961,1965 - Badminton India Archives - Men's Singles
  6. In the years 1953,1954,1961,1966,1970 - Badminton India Archives - Mixed Doubles
  7. "Ruia College - Awards and Distinctions". Archived from the original on 5 January 2008. Retrieved 25 December 2007.
  8. Indian Express (newspaper)
  9. Badminton India Archives - Individual Championships
  10. Indiantelevision.com
  11. Badminton India Archives - Awards
  12. "The Hindu (newspaper)". Archived from the original on 4 March 2007. Retrieved 25 December 2007.
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