Cricket Legends leader kudos Sandhu’s Canada Award
DAR ES SALAAM: KANU Rathod, Group Leader of the Cricket Legends of Tanzania, has commended the legendary Tochi Singh Sandhu , who has been named Surrey’s Good Citizen of the Year for 2024 in Canada.
Sandhu will be presented with the award on Tuesday. Dinesh Vaishnav, a senior administrator of the Reunion Group, told the ‘Sunday News’ in Dar es Salaam yesterday that UK-based Rathod, on behalf of the group, praised former cricket and hockey star Sandhu for receiving this prestigious honour.
He said that the Reunion Group views this as a significant recognition, not only for Sandhu but also for the group and Tanzania as a whole, calling it a blessing.
“Credit goes to the values we inherited growing up in Dar es Salaam,” he added. Rathod stated: “Sandhu, you’ve made us proud with this esteemed honour as Good Citizen, awarded by the Mayor of Surrey, Canada.
Kudos to you!” In her letter, Surrey’s Mayor, Brenda Locke, was quoted as saying: “Dear Tochi Singh Sandhu, on behalf of the City Council, I am delighted to announce that you have been named Surrey’s Good Citizen of the Year for 2024.
This honour is awarded to a Surrey resident or business owner who has provided exceptional service for at least 15 years, and whose volunteer contributions have positively impacted the city and its people.
Mayor letter added: “The Council conducted a thorough nomination process for this award, and your name and information about your volunteer service were submitted for consideration.”
The mayor went on to say that the Council carefully reviewed all nominees and had the challenging task of selecting the 2024 recipient.
“This year, we are proud to present the Surrey Good Citizen of the Year Award to both you and Rick Hugh.
The Council wishes to acknowledge your remarkable contributions as a volunteer and leader within our city over the years. “Thank you for your dedication to the community.
The City of Surrey is fortunate to have such engaged and caring individuals contributing to our society,” the mayor concluded. Commenting Sandhu thanked Reunion Legends and added: “The culture and values I inherited in Dar es Salaam have stayed with me, and they have led to this recognition.
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I truly care about people; I show them respect and compassion, and in return, they give back twice as much. Together, we thrive by caring for one another and ensuring everyone’s well-being.
“We treat everyone equally. This is what Mwalimu Nyerere taught us Tanzanians. I am proud to have been born in Dar and deeply honoured to be named Surrey’s Citizen of the Year for 2024.
“The award presentation will take place on Monday, September 23, 2024, at 7:00 PM here in Canada and at 5:00 AM on Tuesday in Tanzania.”
Sandhu is a prolific former national hockey player who represented Tanzania in major competitions between 1963 and 1978 before moving to Canada.
He also managed Tanzania’s national hockey team at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, marking the country’s first and only team event at the Olympic Games.
Beyond his playing career, Sandhu, who has said that his heart remains in Tanzania, has served as Treasurer for the Tanzania Olympic Committee (TOC), a member of the National Sports Council (NSC), Secretary of the Tanzania Hockey Association (THA), and the Dar es Salaam Hockey Association.
He was also a Member of Africa on the Commonwealth Games Federation Finance Committee, Chair of DCA, International Field Hockey Umpire, Treasurer African Hockey Federation, Member of the EA Hockey Union, and Chairman of Lions Club Dar City to mention a few.
The humble charming Sandhu who September 18th celebrated his 84th birthday credits the people for their support and energy that enabled him to deliver the service.
