Even if cricketing legend Kapil Dev is chairing the selection committee for the Khel Ratna and Arjuna Awards; it makes little sense as to why no sportsman was being nominated for the former award.
Even if cricketing legend Kapil Dev is chairing the selection committee for the Khel Ratna and Arjuna Awards; it makes little sense as to why no sportsman was being nominated for the former award.
Only the second time since its inception in 1991, no sportsman in this country will receive the much coveted Khel Ratna at this year’s national sports day ceremony.
Out of the seven names shortlisted for the highest sporting honour, the committee found none to be nominated as the numero uno awardee.
The likes of Jeev Milkha Singh, discus throwers Vikas Gowda and Krishna Poonia, badminton ace P.V. Sindhu, tennis sensation Somdev Devvarman and Paralympians Devendra Jhajaria and H.N. Girisha. These stars might not have won any accolades or medals but they have put the country’s map on the international front.
Despite the fact that there’s a cricketer making the cut in the Arjuna awardees’ list (Ravichandran Ashwin) shows that how administrators are lacking the sporting brains in this country.
The committee had finalised 15 names for the Arjuna Awards with the likes of ace shooter Heena Sidhu getting the nod for her consistent top notch performances in the past four years that includes a world record score at the World Cup Finals in 2013.
And then comes the saddest part of them all. There were NO nominees from sports like hockey, tennis and table tennis. Shocking but the national hockey team had just won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
The biggest shocker comes that there are no representatives from the Indian football team. Be it women or men, this internationally acclaimed sport still sits in the shadows. If the administrators revisit the papers or check into old news, the women’s football team is ranked in top 50 by FIFA.
It’s quite an achievement for this bunch of women, who have yet to reach the heights as far as their counterparts are concerned. Away from the limelight of I-league and ISL, these women footballers are still making the country proud on the international front. Also, the men’s football team, be it the likes of Sunil Chhetri or Sandeep Mondal, the men in blue might not have a cult status as their cricket counterparts but still giving a go in those muddy grounds of India.
The maximum number of applications received in field hockey was three men and four women but none were considered for different reasons.
Football, still clueless?
There’s a point system in place for these athletes but isn’t recognizing all sports, a true sportsmanship?
Where has it all gone?
Arjuna Award nominees: Abhishek Verma (archery), Tintu Luka (athletics), H.N. Girisha (para athlete), Valiyaveetil Diju (badminton), Geethu Anna Jose (basketball), Jai Bhagwan (boxing), Ravichandran Ashwin (cricket), Anirban Lahiri (golf), Mamatha Poojari (kabaddi), Saji Thomas (rowing), Heena Sidhu (shooting), Anaka Alankamony (squash), Tom Joseph (volleyball), Yumnam Renubala Chanu (weightlifting) and Sunil Kumar Rana (wrestling).
