Mumbai: Days after tennis star Saina Nehwal lashed out at the sports ministry over omitting her name from the list of Padma Bhushan awardee probables, boxer Vijender Singh who made India proud with a Bronze medal in the Beijing Olympics in 2008, too has raised demands to be included in the list of Padma awardees.
Although the boxer hasn’t spoken to the sports ministry personally, his statements to the media are enough to prick a hornet’s nest in sporting circles. The Olympian boxer has cited that he isn’t a person to go and ask for an award, but hopes that the Sports ministry is wise enough to pick the right candidates for the Padma award.
Speaking to the media, Vijender Singh said that, although he got the Padma Shri in 2010, he still maintains an excellent form and his performance has given India a Silver medal in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014. He also said that Saina deserves the Padma Bhushan, but he isn’t any less as well.
Vijender said he preferably wants two-time Olympic medal winning wrestler Sushil Kumar to get the honour, as originally recommended by the Sports Ministry.
But in case, one more sportsperson is taken into consideration following Saina's late application, then the Ministry might as well give his name a thought as well.
According to reports, the boxer has spoken to Sandeep Jajodia, Boxing India federation president, and has asked him to take up his recommendation with the sports ministry over his nomination for the Padma Bhushan awards.
Vijender says, ‘I have asked the association, and it’s up to them to decide. Let’s see how it goes.’
Earlier, tennis star Saina Nehwal was irked with the government’s ‘partisan attitude’ after reports surfaced that two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar has been nominated as a special case for the prestigious Padma Bhushan award, while she was ignored.
“I read in the papers that Sushil has been nominated for the award. I know the Badminton Association of India has submitted my name to the sports ministry in August, but I hadn’t heard from them (the ministry). So when I spoke to them on Friday, they informed me they didn’t forward my name to the ministry of home affairs,” Saina told Deccan Chronicle on Saturday.
“It is disappointing I was not even considered for the award. Whether or not I get the award is the jury’s call, but I was never even given that chance,” Saina added.
On Monday however, the sports ministry decided to recommend badminton star Saina Nehwal for the Padma Bhushan award, but insisted that it did not receive her nomination from the Badminton Association of India within the stipulated deadline.
“In view of the achievements of Ms. Saina Nehwal, the department of sports has decided to recommend her case for the Padma Bhushan to the home ministry as a special case although the last date for making the recommendation is long over," the ministry said in a statement.
“The ministry had not received her nomination from the BAI or any other agency, for the Padma Bhushan for 2014.” Reacting to the development, Saina told Deccan Chronicle, “I would like to thank the sports ministry for putting my name forward.”
