Ronita Torcato

Sushila Rege-Kapadia was the national Badminton champion in 1952, ’53 and ’58. She used to work for the Govt of India Tourist Office and  played badminton in her spare time. Actually, badminton was a passion, not just a hobby. Work was also fun and she recalls meeting  Hollywood star of yesteryear Gregory Peck at the  Bombay airport.
Did she become an avid viewer of his movies after that meeting?
"Oh" she gurgles."I always liked him. I used to watch his films before I ever met him and "Roman Holiday" and  To Kill A Mocking Bird" were my favourites.

On Feb 5, she will be one of several badminton greats who will be honoured at star-studded  function by Badminton 45 at the Bombay Gymkhana.
A glam surprise is in store for invitees and the organisers won't say whether it's in the form of Deepika Padukone, Bollywood star daughter of former badminton star Prakash Padukone.

Badminton 45 is a movement by and for people who wish to contribute to the promotion of the game. Set to initiate its Silver Jubilee celebrations with the 19th G.D. Birla Memorial Masters Tournament at the Bombay Gymkhana from February 3 to 6, the organisation will felicitate the current stars of Indian badminton including Saina Nehwal, Jwala Gutta, Ashwini Ponappa, national coach Pullela Gopichand and the greats of yesteryear like Rege-Kapadia who says: “It was a pleasant surprise when Badminton 45 informed me of the felicitation. It is truly an honour to be among the former and contemporary greats."

On the occasion, Badminton 45 will release a book ‘Courting Success’ on the icons of Indian badminton, written by former player and columnist Shirish Nadkarni that will chronicle the journeys of the country’s finest shuttlers through memory lane.

To mark the Silver Jubilee, Badminton 45 will add one more memorial award in a long list and these are the Ashok Kapur Memorial Awards for the senior national men’s and women’s winners.

Cash awards of Rs. 50,000 each also will be presented posthumously to the kin of late Suresh Goel, late Syed Modi, late Trilok Nath Seth, late George Lewis and late Pearl Goss.

Since its inception, Badminton 45 has been trying to promote the sport by honouring promising juniors every year.

Under the patronage of business tycoon, the late Aditya Vikram Birla, himself a keen player, Badminton 45 was formed when a few badminton players who quit competitive play wished to continue their association with their favourite sport.