New Delhi: The sports ministry has reaffirmed its decision to release a reduced list of national sports awardees. Officials emphasized that awards should not be granted based solely on reputation. This statement comes a day after the announcement of the revised awardees, highlighting the ministry’s commitment to a more merit-based selection process.
“We agree it’s not the convention,” a senior ministry official said. “Usually, the names forwarded by the selection panel are final, but this time we decided to cut the flab. Arjuna awards have to be earned, they can’t be given on reputation.”
Re-evaluation Excludes Several Athletes Ahead of World Championships
The re-evaluation process has led to the exclusion of several athletes from India’s preparations for the upcoming World Championships. Notable athletes affected include gymnast Pranati Nayak, kho kho player Nirmala Bhati, polo player Padmanabh Singh, shooter Mehuli Ghosh, table tennis player Sutirtha Mukherjee, wrestler Sonam Malik, and yogasana athlete Aarti Pal.
A ministry official addressed the recent challenges, stating, “We took over the preparation for World Championships from the very beginning and worked towards delivering a world-class tournament. What happened during the India Open was unfortunate, and there were surely lapses on our part. But we left no stone unturned this time.”
In terms of participation, the initiative attracted around 30 lakh participants in its first installment, with the second installment drawing 50 lakh. The ministry aims to increase this number to 1 crore for the upcoming event.
