The 12-member selection committee, headed by Kapil Dev, decided not to name any sportsperson out of the seven candidates for the Khel Ratna at a meeting here. This is the third time no sportsperson has been named for the Khel Ratna since the inception of the country’s highest sporting award in 1991.
Besides Ashwin, the other 14 recommended for the Arjuna Award were Akhilesh Varma (archery), Tintu Luka (athletics), H N Girisha (paralympics), V Diju (badminton), Geetu Ann Jose (basketball), Jai Bhagwan (boxing), Anirban Lahiri (golf), Mamta Pujari (kabaddi), Saji Thomas (rowing), Heena Sidhu (shooting), Anaka Alankamony (squash), Tom Joseph (volleyball), Renubala Chanu (weightlifting) and Sunil Rana (wrestling).
‘The selection panel examined the seven names placed before them for the consideration of Khel Ratna but none of them were deserving enough to get the nod,’ a selection panel member said on condition of anonymity.
‘We discussed each and every seven names for the Khel Ratna Award. The longest discussion was in case of on golfer Jeev Milkha Singh after Kapil mentioned his name but ultimately the panel decided against his name,’ the member said.
It is also learnt that Somdev Devvarman’s 2011 Arjuna Award went against him while considering his name for the Khel Ratna as some panel members felt he has not achieved much success after that year.
The selection panel members for the Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award included the likes of Anju Bobby George and Kunjarani Devi, two mediapersons and three from the government side, including SAI director general Jiji Thomson.
Welfare scheme for sportspersons
The sports ministry is planning to start a welfare scheme for national sportspersons who have brought laurels for the country in the past but are now living in penury.
Sports minister Sarbananda Sonowal informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that the ministry is implementing a scheme named ‘National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons’ under which ex-gratia financial assistance will be given to former sportspersons who have fallen on bad times.
In a written reply, Sonowal said: ‘The ministry is implementing a scheme named ‘National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons’ under which there is a provision for ex-gratia financial assistance to outstanding sportspersons of yesteryears, now living in indignant circumstances whose annual income is less than Rs 2 lakh.’
Sonowal said the government was keen on encouraging sports in the country. The ministry is also planning to give monthly pensions to Olympians and national players, who won medals at the international level. Under the scheme, Olympic medallists would be given a pension of Rs.10,000 per month, while the gold medallists at the World Cup/World Championships in Olympic and Asian Games disciplines will get Rs.8,000.
Silver and bronze medallists in World Cup/World Championships in the Olympic and Asian Games disciplines and gold medallists of the Asian and Commonwealth Games will get Rs.7,000.
Besides Ashwin, the other 14 recommended for the Arjuna Award were Akhilesh Varma (archery), Tintu Luka (athletics), H N Girisha (paralympics), V Diju (badminton), Geetu Ann Jose (basketball), Jai Bhagwan (boxing), Anirban Lahiri (golf), Mamta Pujari (kabaddi), Saji Thomas (rowing), Heena Sidhu (shooting), Anaka Alankamony (squash), Tom Joseph (volleyball), Renubala Chanu (weightlifting) and Sunil Rana (wrestling).
‘The selection panel examined the seven names placed before them for the consideration of Khel Ratna but none of them were deserving enough to get the nod,’ a selection panel member said on condition of anonymity.
‘We discussed each and every seven names for the Khel Ratna Award. The longest discussion was in case of on golfer Jeev Milkha Singh after Kapil mentioned his name but ultimately the panel decided against his name,’ the member said.
It is also learnt that Somdev Devvarman’s 2011 Arjuna Award went against him while considering his name for the Khel Ratna as some panel members felt he has not achieved much success after that year.
The selection panel members for the Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award included the likes of Anju Bobby George and Kunjarani Devi, two mediapersons and three from the government side, including SAI director general Jiji Thomson.
Welfare scheme for sportspersons
The sports ministry is planning to start a welfare scheme for national sportspersons who have brought laurels for the country in the past but are now living in penury.
Sports minister Sarbananda Sonowal informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that the ministry is implementing a scheme named ‘National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons’ under which ex-gratia financial assistance will be given to former sportspersons who have fallen on bad times.
In a written reply, Sonowal said: ‘The ministry is implementing a scheme named ‘National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons’ under which there is a provision for ex-gratia financial assistance to outstanding sportspersons of yesteryears, now living in indignant circumstances whose annual income is less than Rs 2 lakh.’
Sonowal said the government was keen on encouraging sports in the country. The ministry is also planning to give monthly pensions to Olympians and national players, who won medals at the international level. Under the scheme, Olympic medallists would be given a pension of Rs.10,000 per month, while the gold medallists at the World Cup/World Championships in Olympic and Asian Games disciplines will get Rs.8,000.
Silver and bronze medallists in World Cup/World Championships in the Olympic and Asian Games disciplines and gold medallists of the Asian and Commonwealth Games will get Rs.7,000.