New Delhi: Having taken the legal route after being denied the honour initially, boxer Manoj Kumar has finally received the prestigious Arjuna Award from Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday.
Manoj, a 2010 Commonwealth Games gold-medallist, bestowed with the honour on Wednesday.
Delhi: Indian Boxer Manoj Kumar conferred Arjuna Award by Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal pic.twitter.com/Pe6xDVXJ0Q
— ANI (@ANI_news) November 26, 2014We are happy to offer this award to most deserving Manoj Kumar,we believe he will bring more & more glory to the country: Sarbananda Sonowal
— ANI (@ANI_news) November 26, 2014Expressing his happiness, Manoj Kumar said,
Thodi is hasti thoda sa imaan bacha paya hun, ye kya kam hai mai apni pehchaan bana paya hun: Manoj Kumar pic.twitter.com/dkt9SNUjlZ
— ANI (@ANI_news) November 26, 2014The boxer had last week said that he had been informed by the sports minister to receive the award.
"I have received a confirmatory mail from Sports Ministry that the Arjuna Award will be given to me by sports minister Sarbananda Sonowal on November 26 at 5pm at a function at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in Delhi," Manoj had said.
"I have got this award after fighting the injustice made by the selection committee," he had added.
Manoj was earlier denied the award by the Kapil Dev-led selection committee even as another boxer Jai Bhagwan was recommended for the coveted honour.
Feeling "insulted", Manoj approached the Sports Ministry officials, who, he said, had assured him that his name would be added to the list in a review meeting.
But after being snubbed for a second time in the review meeting, Manoj took the legal route and filed a case in the Delhi High Court. He won the case and that led to the ministry accepting his nomination for the award.
The ministry, through its counsel, admitted in the court that Manoj was initially not considered for the award by the committee as they mistakenly believed that he was involved in a doping case.
