Make sports awards nomination free: Panghal requests Rijiju

Boxing star Amit Panghal on Friday appealed to Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju to make the national sports awards "nomination/application free." Panghal, who made history last year by becoming the first Indian to win silver in the men's boxing World Championships, said that the current process lacks transparency and technicalities often lead to deserving sportspersons not getting the awards.

"Current process is that a sportsperson has to send an application and then sports committee selects on the basis of such received applications. This process itself is very difficult as many times on technical grounds of application, deserving sportsperson has been denied such prestigious sports award. Award selection is also based on discriminative decision of sports committee members who hold no accountability of decision," said Panghal in a letter to Rijiju, a screenshot of which he also tweeted.

Panghal said that the lack of transparency in the process leads to many sportspersons having to go to court to get their awards.

"This is also a request from many sportspersons to make this process very simple and transparent as their achievements are crystal clear and they should be rewarded by giving awards.

"Most of the prestigious awards in the world have been given without asking for nomination/application as in true spirit award is recognition of achievement of a sportsperson and he/she should not ask for it.

"This has resemblance to the old system from British era where achievers had to apply for an award. By making this process nomination/application free you will be doing a solid change in the sports award system of India. In view of next year's Olympics this step of yours will be a milestone for sportspersons as all are committed to make India Olympic medal tally in double digit."

The Sports Ministry is currently receiving nominations from various national sports federations for the National Sports Awards i.e., the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, the Arjuna Award, the Dronacharya Award and the Dhyanchand Award. The ministry gave a deadline of June 3 to file the nominations.