Jose Jacob and Mahaveer Prasad are in line for Dronacharya Award

New Delhi: Boxing coach G. Manoharan, rowing’s Jose Jacob and wrestling’s Mahaveer Prasad were among five names recommended for this year’s Dronacharya Award by a selection panel, headed by World Cup-winning hockey captain Ajitpal Singh, on Monday.

According to sources in the ministry, veteran athletics coach N. Lingappa and judo’s Gurcharan Singh Gogi have also been recommended.

Apart from Prasad, who will be conferred with the award on the basis of current performance (2010-2013) taken into account, the four others are being awarded in the ‘Lifetime Achievement Category’.

The panel decided to recommend five names this time for the highest honour for coaches with one name each from boxing, athletics, wrestling, rowing and judo. For the first time, a judo coach is set to be conferred with the Dronacharya with Gogi being recommended for producing a number of international judokas in a career of over two decades.

For Manoharan, it was certainly a case of better late than never having coached junior pugilists for the last 26 years. All the star boxers in the senior level like Shiva Thapa, Sumit Sangwan, Vikash Krishan have been under Manoharan’s tutelege during their junior years.

Shiva and Sumit bagged silver medals at the Youth Olympics and Asian Junior Championship under Manoharan in 2010. Manoharan has been a pillar of the Indian boxing coaching staff. It is learnt that Manipuri boxing coach Ibomcha Singh, made a strong case for Manoharan during Monday’s meeting.