Sania to get Khel Ratna as scheduled despite court notice

MUMBAI: The Sports Ministry is firm on the decision to confer the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award on Sania Mirza despite the Karnataka High Court issuing notices to the Government and the tennis ace over the petition filed by Paralympian HN Girisha, who has challenged the recommendation of the selection panel.

Sania Mirza will get the award on August 29. File photo

Sabi Hussain

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 27

The Sports Ministry is firm on the decision to confer the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award on Sania Mirza despite the Karnataka High Court issuing notices to the Government and the tennis ace over the petition filed by Paralympian HN Girisha, who has challenged the recommendation of the selection panel.

A senior Ministry official told The Tribune that the court’s notice will not cast a shadow on the award ceremony, and that the original awards list will be implemented in totality. “The Ministry’s decision is final (to confer the award on Sania). She will be getting the award on August 29 as per the selection committee’s recommendation. The notice wouldn’t affect that,” the official said.

The official said that the Ministry had received the notice on Thursday and would file its reply within the stipulated 15-day deadline. “The Ministry will frame its reply after going through the content of the notice. We will explain everything to the court,” the official added.

The Karnataka High Court has sought a reply from the Ministry as to why Girisha’s name was overlooked in favour of Sania, considering the points system in place for the award.

Girisha, a 2012 London Paralympic silver medallist, has contended in his plea that he has 90 points under the Ministry’s performance-based points system for the award, while Sania’s WTA wins don’t even count as per the Ministry’s notification with regard to the award. Girisha said the Ministry should only consider performances at the Olympics, Paralympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and World Championships from 2011.

The Ministry’s decision to stick with Sania for the Khel Ratna has come at a time when at least four sportspersons and a coach have already approached different courts, challenging the recommendations of the awards committee.

While Seema Antil (discus throw), Vinod Kumar (wrestling coach), KC Lekha (woman boxer), Shaik Abdul Hameed (ten-pin bowling) and Girisha have petitioned the court with their respective arguments, dope-tainted weightlifting coach Shyamala Shetty will be approaching the judiciary on Monday for the Dronacharya snub.