Asian Tour Release – Sep 27, 2018: India’s Shubhankar Sharma was recently conferred the prestigious Arjuna award in India where he received the accolade from the President of India in Delhi. Here is a first-hand experience from his sister, Vandini.
Behind the scenes
“I’m not even going to be nervous when they call me up,” said Sharma on the evening of his award ceremony.
“I will just walk up and say ‘What’s up, Mr. President? Is everyone’s stomach doing okay?” he added.
That’s the up-and-coming world-renowned golfer you know.
When our family found out a week ago, that Bhai (brother in Hindi) had been selected for a national sporting honor, my brother accepted with bemused gratitude.
I ransacked Google and decided to lecture him one afternoon, “It began in 1961 and it’s among the top national citizen recognitions of India. Sachin Tendulkar and Saina Nehwal, Virat Kohli have all got it, even (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) Modiji might be there!”
Anushka Sharma, Virat Kohli and President Kovind were there. But to my dismay, Prime Minister Modi wasn’t. I had joyously blabbed about our family’s good news to my friends at school.
I was planning to charm him with childish anecdotes about kids calling me the ‘Swach Bharat Abhyaan Reporter’ at school. And my bottle was christened ‘Modiji ki bottle’ because I sipped like a true speaker, pausing between classroom speeches on his virtue. Ah, well.
Two hours from the ceremony, Bhai looked like a real schoolboy. A buzz cut, maroon tie-blazer, white shirt and fitted grey pants. I couldn’t stop smiling because it had been years since he had worn anything that resembled a school uniform. No age is beyond good old sibling rivalry though.
He walked up to me as our parents and I stood waiting in the lobby.
“Throw this away for me please?” And now, I had a ball of bubble gum stuck in my palm. Great.
All humor gently faded away when our car first rolled through the towering Rashtrapati Bhavan gates. We were taken in awe. Papa was sitting in the front seat, clad in military olive greens, six stars and a ceremonial medallion.
Six years had passed since he gave up his colonel uniform. He gave it all up to raise and shelter his 16-year-old son, who was beginning professional life.
After a moment Papa quietly said, “Baccha, thank you for giving me the chance to wear this again.”
The Ceremony
My reverie broke as a sudden trumpet call blared through the gathering. The President had arrived.
We all rose to our seats as President Kovind walked to his chair in a white suit, smiling and nodding. So solemn were things, I had a tiny horrifying itch to scream aloud just to see what might happen.
Dr. Anshu Jamsenpa
The fasted woman mountaineer to mount Mt. Everest twice in five days; she had triumphed the peak five times. The announcer had to keep waiting as people cheered between her lines, struck by this story of open bravery.
Shri Ankur Dhama
A blind Paralympian runner and gold medalist for the Arjuna Award. As he stepped up with a guiding palace soldier, the polite applause of the room turned into deafening cheering. But I could only sit still and touched. Bhai told me he had gotten teary eyed. The athlete gently walked ahead but the President stepped off his seat, and awarded him before he was halfway on the carpet.
There were many worthy awardees in the span of an hour yesterday, but I’ll share three of my favourite stories.
Lt. Cdr. Shougrakpam Vijaya Devi and the All Women Navy Parasailing Team
The first all Indian women team to circumnavigate the entire world was awarded the ‘Tenzing Norway National Adventure Award.’ All women were in white Navy uniforms. I had the privilege to meet the good-humored Lt. Devi herself, at breakfast. The soldiers dazzled the audience with their erectness and faultless march.
‘Well done. Finally, no more bowing and scraping,’ muttered Papa beside me. ‘Soldiers have a backbone. We salute.’
Dr. Anshu Jamsenpa
The fasted woman mountaineer worldwide to mount Mt. Everest twice in five days; she’d triumphed the peak five times. The announcer had to keep waiting as people cheered between her lines, struck by this story of open bravery.
Shri Ankur Dhama
A blind Paraolympian runner and gold medalist for the Arjuna Award. As he stepped up with a guiding palace soldier, the polite applause of the room turned into deafening cheering. But I could only sit still and touched. Bhai told me he’d gotten teary eyed. The athlete gently walked ahead but the President stepped off his seat, and awarded him before he was halfway on the carpet.
Finally, it was big brother’s turn!
I felt my family’s attention heighten and we grew still, as Bhai’s name was announced. The rest of the world dimmed, in face of the feeling within me that was growing powerful enough to overwhelm the moment.
I was hit with a pure, fluttery, rippling happy feeling. Mama and Papa’s eyes shone slightly. He bowed before the President like I’ve only seen him bow before altars in temples. And then he walked up on stage, and accepted his Arjuna award.
I was hit with pure and fluttery, rippling happy feeling. Mama and Papa’s eyes shone slightly.
He bowed before the President like I’ve only seen him bow before altars in temples. And then he walked up on stage, and accepted his Arjuna award.
By: Vandini Sharma (Shubhankar Sharma’s sister)
