Nandu M. Natekar is a former Indian Badminton player who has been a national champion. His sports career spanned for about 15 years during which he bagged more than 100 national and international titles for India. He is accredited as the first Indian to win a title abroad in the year 1956. He has also served as the director of Natekar Sports and Fitness (NSF). Nandu M. Natekar is six times winner of the Men`s Doubles National Championship. He has also won Mixed Doubles National Championship five times and Men`s Singles National Championship six times.
In the All England Championships, Nandu M. Natekar succeeded in reaching among the last 8. During the Thomas Cup series in 1954-55, he was included among `the Greats` in a souvenir published by Malaysia. In the year 1956 he became the Men`s Singles Champion in the Selangor International Tournament held in Kuala Lumpur. His victory also marked to be the first international victory of an Indian badminton player. Nandu M. Natekar completed his education from Ramnarain Ruia College, Mumbai.
For his contributions in the Indian Badminton arena, he was honoured with the first Arjuna Award in the year 1961. In the same year he was also voted as the most popular sportsperson of India. In the subsequent year, 1962, he won the Mixed Doubles title at Bangkok`s King`s Cup International Tournament along with Meena Shaw. In 1965 he represented India at the Commonwealth Games organized in Jamaica. In 1989 he was honoured with the Meritorious Service Award by the IBF while in 2001 he received Life-time Achievement Award by the Petroleum Sports Control Board of India. In 1991 he was also honoured at the Jagatik Marathi Parishad in Mauritius. In 2002 he won Sahyadri Navratna Puraskar titled Ratna Saurabh. Nandu M. Natekar`s son named Gaurav Natekar is also a sports person and has been a seven-time Indian National Champion in tennis.
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