What’s the story?
Achanta Sharath Kamal, one of India’s best table tennis players, has revealed that he feels the existing awards application system forces athletes of the country to beg for honours.
Speaking to PTI, the two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist said, “You need multiple recommendation letters from various quarters in the government, the more they are, the better your chances of getting the award. It is disappointing as an athlete when you know you have done better than some athletes who have been chosen. Like it was the case this year.”
The paddler, who was overlooked for the Padma awards for the second time, was shocked on seeing some of the names in the Padma Shri list.
He said, “Most who have been picked are deserving but some of them are not. And when that happens, you feel disheartened as an athlete. What was even more shocking was that somebody like Pankaj Advani, who has won so many world titles, was overlooked for the Padma Bhushan again.”
In case you didn’t know…
In 1954, the Padma awards were instituted for the first time to recognise distinguished and exceptional achievements in all fields regardless of position, occupation, race or sex of the individual. The awards have three categories – Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, in decreasing order of importance.
The heart of the matter
Eight sportspersons from the country have been chosen for the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honours of the country. The list includes Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli, blind cricket team captain Shekar Naik, Paralympians Mariyappan Thangavelu and Deepa Malik, Rio Olympics bronze medallist wrestler Sakshi Malik, gymnast Dipa Karmakar, Indian hockey captain P R Sreejesh, and discus thrower Vikas Gowda.
Also read: Hurt after Padma awards snub, Jwala Gutta asks if her credentials are not good enough
What’s next?
Kamal, who has been India’s top-ranked player for the majority of the last decade, will be participating at the senior nationals this week at Manesar. The next international assignment is also at home as an ITTF World Tour event is scheduled to be held in India for the first time in February in New Delhi.
The paddler has no immediate plans of retiring and will reassess his future after the two big multi-sporting events, the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games, next year.
Sportskeeda’s Take
What Kamal pointed out about Pankaj Advani not being considered for the Padma awards is absolutely true. It indeed seems like achievements are not enough for recognition in the country, you need to have resources and connections. Nonetheless, as an athlete, you can only focus on winning more laurels for the country.
