Plaudits for Poonawalla

A lifetime achievement award was conferred on Dr Cyrus Poonawalla in France when the chairman of the Royal Western India Turf Club Limited was in Paris to attend the annual conference of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) on October 5, 2009. Louis Romanet, IFHA chairman presented the award to Poonawalla at the conference which was attended by 150 delegates from over 50 nations, noted Mumbai Mirror (MM) in its edition of October 18, 2009. Paying glowing tributes to Poonawalla for his exemplary service to the sport, Romanet lauded his role as "an ambassador of a country where horse­racing is popular.”

Confirming the news to MM, Poonawalla reportedly stated: "Indeed it’s a great honor to receive a lifetime achievement award at the IFHA though I must confess that I never expected this to happen when leaving for the conference... The IFHA’s gesture... has humbled me. It was a proud moment for me to receive the award as an Indian and I was overwhelmed with emotions when the delegates gave a standing ovation. I was left speechless for a moment or two.”

Dr Cyrus Poonawalla receiving award from Louis Romanet

Poonawalla later informed Parsiana that another lifetime achievement award has come his way from the chairman of the Turf Authorities of India on October 25, 2009 in Hyderabad. The scroll which accompanied the award reads, in part: "Dr Poonawalla, your contribution to the sport of horseracing on the international front is indeed beyond compare.” The doyen of horse­racing, who has received the Padma Shri, has represented the country at the Asian Racing Federation and the IFHA in various capacities, MM mentioned in its report.