Award to ‘outsider’ kicks up row
Cash award of Rs 10 lakh to Olympian long jumper Ankit Sharma, allegedly by flouting the rules on the occasion of National Sports Day, has kicked up a controversy in the state.
Except being a native of the state, the South Asian Games gold medallist Sharma fails to fulfil the remaining two criterions (GO 23/2131/2014-213), which says that the sportsperson should have studied at least for two years in any school and should have played for Uttar Pradesh in the nationals.
Agra’s Ankit, who did his initial schooling from Morena district in Madhya Pradesh before graduating in commerce in Bhopal, himself told HT that he never played for Uttar Pradesh at any nationals.
He also refused to play for his native state in future after being persuaded by the UP Athletics Association’s secretary PK Srivastava as soon he, along with nine others, got the cash award from chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday.
In its August 30 edition, HT had carried a story titled ‘Outsider’ Ankit gets biggest purse’ to bring the issue to the fore. “I could have played for UP at the Hyderabad National Games but at the same time I had to go out of the country for an international event,” Ankit had explained.
Interestingly, sports minister Ram Sakal Gujjar, who also comes from Agra, was clueless about Ankit’s credentials for cash awards when approached for his comments on Wednesday. “His (Ankit) family is still in Agra and he belongs to Uttar Pradesh,” Gujjar told HT.
He, however, refused to accept that there was ‘some backdoor backing’ to get Ankit this award. “Ankit deserves for the award as per rules.”
Arjuna awardee and former Indian volleyball player, Ranveer Singh, said that award to Ankit was a sheer violation of norms.
“If anybody has not played for the state, he shouldn’t be given any state awards. Sirf UP me paida hona hi appko inam ka haqdar nahi banata hai (Being a native of UP doesn’t mean that one is entitled for the awards),” said Singh.
While emphasising the need of having a sports policy in the state as soon as possible, Singh confessed that the system of giving awards to ‘outsiders’ was prevalent in the state since long.
“I know how a kabaddi player from Haryana had forged his domicile during his job in UP Police and got the prestigious Laxman Awards a few years ago,” he said.
“Many of our state sportspersons, despite winning laurels for Uttar Pradesh, are still running from pillar to the post to get awards and jobs. Still there are some sportspersons who are not genuinely eligible but are getting big money,” he said. “An inquiry should be instituted in Ankit’s case as it’s the hard earned taxpayer’s money that is given as awards,” he added.
Contrary to this, secretary of UP Olympic Association Anandeshwar Pandey blamed the weak policies regarding sports awards in the state. “The rules have to be updated. I believe whosoever represents UP (even outsiders) in Olympics or other big events of the globe should be given cash awards and honours.”
I know how a kabaddi player from Haryana had forged his domicile during his job in UP Police and got the prestigious Laxman Awards a few years ago RANVEER SINGH, arjuna awardee