Ignored Bajrang to go to court
NEW DELHI: The country’s top sporting awards and controversy are inseparable, or so it seems.
Even as the country celebrates the success of its athletes at the Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, one of India’s best wrestlers and a huge potential for 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, Bajrang Punia, is all set to approach court after being ignored for the highest sporting award – the Khel Ratna.
After Sushil Kumar’s flopshow at the Asian Games, the onus was on Bajrang to save face and the Haryana grappler did it in style, kick-stating India’s gold-medal hunt at the quadrennial games, defeating Japan’s Takatani Daichi in the 65kg freestyle final.
But not even a month has elapsed since he scripted the success story that he is ready to move court. “My credentials for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna have been ignored and I cannot tolerate this,” said an angry Bajrang, adding that he tried contacting the sports minster Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore all day but got no response.
“I tried called the sports minister 7-8 times from here (Bangalore) where I am continuing my training but there was no response. The secretary said that the minister was busy and couldn’t talk. If the sports minister doesn’t give the reason for ignoring me, I will go to court to claim my award,” said Punia, who also won the Commonwealth Games gold in Gold Coast this year.
Bajrang had received the Arjuna award in 2015.