A day after it introduced a trimmed-down checklist of nationwide sports activities awardees, the sports activities ministry backed its choice and mentioned awards can’t be doled out on status alone.
Solely 17 athletes were named for Arjuna awards on Tuesday from the 24 advisable by the choice committee led by former Supreme Courtroom decide Justice (retd) Arun Kumar Mishra. The shortlist was submitted at the very least six months again, and the ministry, after a protracted analysis, pruned the checklist.
“We agree it’s not the conference,” a senior ministry official mentioned. “Often, the names forwarded by the choice panel are closing, however this time we determined to chop the flab. Arjuna awards should be earned, they’ll’t be given on status.”
The ministry has the ultimate say on awards and “could proceed to train its proper in future,” the official added.
No athlete was named for Main Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, India’s highest sporting honour, for 2025. For the primary time since 2014, Khel Ratna is not going to be awarded.
“We wished to protect the integrity of the awards. These awards can’t be given for the sake of it. The committee’s suggestions aren’t binding on the ministry.”
The athletes named for the Arjuna Award embody badminton doubles gamers Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, monitor and area athletes Tejaswin Shankar and Muhammed Ajmal, boxer Narender Berwal, chess Grandmasters Vidit Gujarathi and Divya Deshmukh.
Gymnast Pranati Nayak, kho kho participant Nirmala Bhati, polo participant Padmanabh Singh, shooter Mehuli Ghosh, desk tennis participant Sutirtha Mukherjee, wrestler Sonam Malik and yogasana athlete Aarti Pal have been these excluded after re-evaluation.
Pleased with World C’ships
The ministry official expressed satisfaction with the continued badminton World Championships within the Capital. After the controversy-hit India Open in January — extreme air air pollution, repeated incidents of fowl droppings on the courtroom and monkey sighting inside the enviornment — preparations on the World Championships have earned reward from home and worldwide shuttlers.
The Sports activities Authority of India (SAI) spent ₹20 crore on restore work.
“We took over the preparation for World Championships from the very starting and labored in direction of delivering a world-class event. What occurred throughout the India Open was unlucky, and there have been absolutely lapses on our half. However we left no stone unturned this time,” the ministry official mentioned.
VBYLD 2027 kicks off
The Viksit Bharat Younger Leaders Dialogue 2027 has began with the Viksit Bharat Quiz, the ministry introduced. The inaugural quiz is open to these between 15-29 years until September 16.
It drew about 30 lakh members and the second installment 50 lakh. “This time, we intention to take the quantity to 1 crore,” the ministry mentioned.
The four-stage filtering course of — together with district and state-level essay-writing competitions — will culminate with at the very least 25 candidates being chosen to current their concepts in Bharat Mandapam subsequent 12 months (Jan 10-12).
