Dikhale's joy was plain to see. ``I owe it to God and the support from my trainees and sports lovers,'' the former international and five-time participant at the nationals (1958-62) said.

The Award, along with the Daddoji Kondeo honour for coaches, had eluded the former Chief Inspector Armaments at the All-India Ordnance Factory, since he first applied in 1985.

Dikhale, whose Pune District Cycling Club (PDCC) features prominently on the local and national circuits, has moulded cyclists over three decades. Also a judge and technical advisor besides being a coach, his tutelage held Homi Bathena, a participant at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi, and Pramod Waghmare (at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics) in good stead.

Bathena went on to win the Chhatrapati Award for 1982, while another ward, Pramod Waghmare, received the honour in 1985-86.

Ananda Waghmare did PDCC proud by bagging the prestigious award in 1976, a year after the club's inception. Kerman Framana was the last of Dihkale's trainees who was conferred the award, in 1987-88.

PDCC produced a bronze medalist at the 1996 Calcutta road meet in Satish Zende.