A couple of days ago, we had reported on the function held on Saturday, to honor Anil Padhye and Rajesh Dalal. Ashok Bhawnani has graciously shared a few pictures with BridgeFromHome for all of you to see and enjoy.
We have compiled a few of these for your viewing pleasure. While most of these photographs are focused on the pair, we have shared a few photographs of individuals close to Ashok as well.
We will naturally start with the raison d'etre for the occasion, the pair of Anil and Rajesh. They have been playing together as team mates and partners for so many years! Both of them have partnered many big names and have represented the country on numerous occasions in the Bermuda Bowl.
The both of them were co-opted to join the DSM team and the rest is history!
We next feature the interviewers. Once again, both of them need no introduction. Raju was actually slated to be the NPC of the senior team. Without meaning any ill will to him, we are grateful to whatever it may be that he could not fill that slot. Because that would have meant that replacing Venky would have been a tad more difficult.
Most of us know Subir Roy as a top class international writer. He has been a Holkar champion himself in the past and would hold his own in any top quality game in the country.
Here is the host, Ashok Bhawnani (to the right in the picture). He, along with his partner Shrikant Tembe (at the left) have been National Silver Champions as part of Team I Doctors in Ahmedabad.
The team is well known in most national events too, performing consistently over the past 20+ years.
Another bridge great from Mumbai, Anand Mehta. He has partnered both of them in several national events (probably international too). They were members of a team RAJAS featuring Jaggy and one player whose name starts with S (but eludes me alas) which dominated local bridge in the 1980s.
The medals ceremony, so to speak. Anand and Rajesh were garlanded with the medals by Anand's wife Anne and Rajesh's wife, Meena.
It was a touching moment for all of us witnessing the ceremony.
A splendid cake with a hand from the World Bridge Championships was also prepared for the occasion. It represents a 3NT contract which Anil made during the championships.
The cake was decorated with candles which the pair blew out and cut the cake to handsome applause and laughter.
We have to mention here that the ceremony was a beautiful mixture of formality (in terms of the conversation session) and informality with everybody mingling amid much joy and happiness
And, of course, there was a popping of the bubbly, another event for much joy and laughter. We honestly don't know how many people partook of the champagne since most of us were on at least our third drink of the evening (discounting the teetotalers of course)