Wrestling News: “I am taken aback by the decision,” says Sakshi Malik who has been omitted from the Arjuna award list. The Sports Ministry on Friday decided against bestowing the Olympic medallist with the sports honour as she has already won the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award. Questioning the unprecedented decision, Sakshi said, “When I won the Khel Ratna in 2016, it was purely on my achievement. That time I did not even fill any form. But this time. And the reason given for omitting me is fair, then that way I will never win any Arjuna award”. “What else do I have to do to win it then?” she added with a tinge of sadness in her voice.
Last week, the Justice (retd) Mukundakam Sharma-led selection committee had recommended 29 names for the Arjuna Award to the Sports Ministry. The 27-year-old said that it was her childhood dream to have ‘Arjuna awardee’ as a prefix to her name. However, it has now been taken away from her. “Every athlete dreams of winning Arjuna award and if I am not getting it even after winning an Olympic medal then which medal will help me bag it?,” the Asian Championship silver medallist said.
READ| No Arjuna Award for Sakshi Malik, here is why
Besides Sakshi, weightlifter Mirabai Chanu has also been excluded from the list bringing down the Arjuna Awards recommendations to 27 from 29.
In a first, the awards will be held virtually on August 29, the National Sports Day, instead of the Rashtrapati Bhavan this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
