DC Correpondent | Harpreet Kaur Lamba | 2 hours 42 min ago
Ronjan Sodhi
Shooter Ronjan Sodhi receives Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award from the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee.
If the build-up to the national sports awards was marred with controversy, the Arjuna Awards ceremony at the Durbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan here on Saturday was no different.
Sodhi conferred Khel Ratna; Arjuna awards for 14 others
Renjit Maheswary's Arjuna Award put on hold
As top sportspersons from across the country gathered for the glittering ceremony , the sports ministry was left redfaced following the row over triple jumper Renjith Maheshwary, who is alleged to have tested positive during the national open athletics championships in 2008, thus making him ineligible for the award.
Shooter Ronjan Sodhi was the star of the ceremony, picking up the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, for his back-toback World Cup triumphs. Under the eligibility rule (4.2), a sportsperson found to have tested positive for use of drugs banned by the International Olympic Committee in any laboratory accredited by the IOC is not eligible for an Arjuna Award. The development left the sports ministry and officials embarrassed.
Sports minister Jitendra Singh was quick to order an inquiry saying it was an “unfortunate incident“, while sports secretary P .K. Deb said Maheshwary was picked for the award following a “clean chit“ from the AFI. It is, however, learnt that Maheshwary failed a dope test during the National Open Athletics Championships at Kochi in September 2008, which was kept under wraps by the AFI.
“At that time, the National Dope Testing Laboratory was not accredited by Wada and we took the sample and sent it to the SAI laboratory,“ an AFI official was quoted as saying. Maheshwary was suspended for three months, even though a dope offence calls for a sixmonth ban.
Said AFI president Adille Sumariwala: “I spoke to Maheshwary and he said he had taken some medicines and it may be a result of that. We have also put in a request to the Sports Authority of India for test details, but even they don't seem to have them.“
Maheshwary , who was in the capital along with his wife, sisters and children, said he had been asked to wait till Monday .
The 27-year-old had clinched bronze in the 2010 Commonwealth Games and also bagged golds in the 2007 and 2013 Asian Championships. LIST OF AWARDEES Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna: Ronjan Sodhi (shooting) Arjuna
Awards: Chekrovolu Swuro (archery), Kavita Chahal (boxing), Rupesh Shah (billiards & snooker), Virat Kohli (cricket), Abhijeet Gupta (chess), Gaganjeet Bhullar (golf), Saba Anjum (hockey), Rajkumari Rathore (shooting), Joshna Chinnappa (squash), Mouma Das (table tennis), Neha Rathi (wrestling), Dharmender Dalal (wrestling), Amit Kumar Saroha (athleticspara). Dronacharya Awards: Poornima Mahato (archery), Mahavir Singh (boxing), Narinder Singh Saini (hockey), K.P. Thomas (athletics), Raj Singh (wrestling). Dhyan Chand Awards: Mary D'souza Sequeira (athletics), Syed Ali (hockey), Anil Mann (wrestling), Girraj Singh (para sportsathletics)
Shooter Ronjan Sodhi receives Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award from the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee.
If the build-up to the national sports awards was marred with controversy, the Arjuna Awards ceremony at the Durbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan here on Saturday was no different.
Sodhi conferred Khel Ratna; Arjuna awards for 14 others
Renjit Maheswary's Arjuna Award put on hold
As top sportspersons from across the country gathered for the glittering ceremony , the sports ministry was left redfaced following the row over triple jumper Renjith Maheshwary, who is alleged to have tested positive during the national open athletics championships in 2008, thus making him ineligible for the award.
Shooter Ronjan Sodhi was the star of the ceremony, picking up the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, for his back-toback World Cup triumphs. Under the eligibility rule (4.2), a sportsperson found to have tested positive for use of drugs banned by the International Olympic Committee in any laboratory accredited by the IOC is not eligible for an Arjuna Award. The development left the sports ministry and officials embarrassed.
Sports minister Jitendra Singh was quick to order an inquiry saying it was an “unfortunate incident“, while sports secretary P .K. Deb said Maheshwary was picked for the award following a “clean chit“ from the AFI. It is, however, learnt that Maheshwary failed a dope test during the National Open Athletics Championships at Kochi in September 2008, which was kept under wraps by the AFI.
“At that time, the National Dope Testing Laboratory was not accredited by Wada and we took the sample and sent it to the SAI laboratory,“ an AFI official was quoted as saying. Maheshwary was suspended for three months, even though a dope offence calls for a sixmonth ban.
Said AFI president Adille Sumariwala: “I spoke to Maheshwary and he said he had taken some medicines and it may be a result of that. We have also put in a request to the Sports Authority of India for test details, but even they don't seem to have them.“
Maheshwary , who was in the capital along with his wife, sisters and children, said he had been asked to wait till Monday .
The 27-year-old had clinched bronze in the 2010 Commonwealth Games and also bagged golds in the 2007 and 2013 Asian Championships. LIST OF AWARDEES Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna: Ronjan Sodhi (shooting) Arjuna
Awards: Chekrovolu Swuro (archery), Kavita Chahal (boxing), Rupesh Shah (billiards & snooker), Virat Kohli (cricket), Abhijeet Gupta (chess), Gaganjeet Bhullar (golf), Saba Anjum (hockey), Rajkumari Rathore (shooting), Joshna Chinnappa (squash), Mouma Das (table tennis), Neha Rathi (wrestling), Dharmender Dalal (wrestling), Amit Kumar Saroha (athleticspara). Dronacharya Awards: Poornima Mahato (archery), Mahavir Singh (boxing), Narinder Singh Saini (hockey), K.P. Thomas (athletics), Raj Singh (wrestling). Dhyan Chand Awards: Mary D'souza Sequeira (athletics), Syed Ali (hockey), Anil Mann (wrestling), Girraj Singh (para sportsathletics)
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