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This year no footballer has been recommended for the Arjuna Award by the AIFF although Armando Colaco’s name has been put forward for the Dronacharya accolade, Sportskeeda can reveal.
With new guidelines announced by the sports ministry earlier this year, a senior AIFF official told Sportskeeda that it has become difficult to recommend footballers for the Arjuna Award.
As per the new guidelines, 90% weightage will be given to medal winners of various international championships including World Cups and World Championships and sports events of disciplines covered in Olympics (Summer, Winter and Paralympics), Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.
Only 10% weightage will be given to the marks awarded by the selection committee for assessment of the eligible sportspersons keeping in view factors like profile and standard of the sports events in which he or she has won medals and qualities like leadership, sportsmanship, team spirit, fair play, sense of discipline.
“Due to the new guidelines it has become very difficult for footballers to be eligible for the Arjuna Award as we don’t compete at the highest level. I think other team sports like hockey will also suffer,” the senior official stated.
23 footballers have won the prestigious Arjuna Award in the past with India captain Sunil Chhetri being the last recipient in 2011.
On a positive note East Bengal coach Colaco is in contention for the Dronacharya award. Till date only one football coach has won it previously and that was Syed Nayeemuddin.
“The Goa Football Association suggested his name and we forwarded it to the sports ministry. Hopefully he will be rewarded,” the official added.
Colaco, who won five I-League titles with Dempo and coached the India senior national team briefly in 2011, has been recommended in the past but hasn’t won. He and the entire Indian football fraternity will be hoping for a change of fortune this time.
