A few days ago I went out to play a regular golf round in Pune with my friend and business partner Parag. It was Thursday, an industrial holiday in Pune, and a very busy day at the course. Poona Club requires at least a three-ball on Thursdays. Therefore, an elderly gentleman, who was by himself, joined us. This is one of the interesting aspects of playing golf – I often play with complete strangers, and have no idea how it will turn out. Well, Thursday was a lucky day for me. I didn’t play very well, but as things turned out, I was in the presence of greatness.
The person who joined us was Mr. Nandu Natekar, one of the all time greats of Indian badminton. At one point of time in the late 1950’s or early 1960’s Mr. Natekar was ranked among the top-5 badminton players in the world. He was the first person to put India on the international badminton map. He is probably in his early seventies now, and looks very fit. He walks briskly, but without hurrying, and plays a good game of golf. He out-drove us several times, and putted very well. However what impressed me more than his golf game was his humility.
Mr. Natekar played the golf round with utmost respect for his playing partners. He waited for us when we were away, appreciated our good shots, and downplayed his own good shots. He never talked about what a great badminton player he was, and refused to dwell on it too much when I brought up the subject several times.
Hemant Kanitkar is another top-level Indian sportsperson who played two cricket Test matches for India in the mid-seventies. For a cricketer, Test cricket is the highest level at which one can play, and it is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication. It is like playing in the NBA or the EPL for a basketball and soccer player respectively. Mr. Kanitkar played with distinction on his debut – he made 65 in the first innings with 11 boundaries – the best innings by an Indian in the match. Mr. Kanitkar is in his early sixties now, a person who is enjoying his retirement. His son is my business partner, so I had invited the entire Kanitkar family to my home for dinner a couple of months ago.
I am in awe of great sportsmen. When Mr. Kanitkar visited my house, I asked him what it was like to play for India, and how he faced Andy Roberts and Vanburn Holder at their very best. However Mr. Kanitkar is humble to the point of being shy in talking about his achievements.
People like Hemant Kanitkar and Nandu Natekar teach us that true greatness is not only a matter of what you achieve. It is also how you handle your achievements.
