Dope-tainted Sharad Kumar recommended for Arjuna Award

Vinayak Padmadeo

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 27

Sharad Kumar, who won bronze in the men’s high jump in the T-63 category at the Tokyo Paralympics, has become the first dope-tainted athlete to get recommended for the prestigious Arjuna Award. The awards committee headed by Justice (retd) Justice Mukundakam Sharma today decided on a jumbo list of 46 — 11 for Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna and 35 for Arjuna Award. The list for Khel Ratna includes Neeraj Chopra, javelin throw gold-medallist at the Tokyo Olympics.

Recommending Sharad’s name is a far cry from the sports ministry’s policy of not considering dope-tainted athletes for the awards. However, the ministry in its order dated May 19, modified earlier order opening the way for those who have served suspension or ban to apply for the award.

“Sportspersons who have been penalised for use of drugs/substances banned by World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) based on a sample collected by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) or any other agency authorized by WADA and tested by National Dope Testing Laboratory or any other WADA accredited laboratory, shall be eligible to be considered for the award after completion of their sentence/penalty/suspension/ban period. The achievement during the said suspension/punishment would not be considered. However, sportspersons against whom enquiry is pending/ongoing will not be considered,” reads a sports ministry order dated May 19.

Sharad served a two-year suspension in 2012 that ruled him out of the London 2012 Paralympics. It is understood that the committee members, including three-time Para Games medallist Devendra Jhajhariya and rifle ace Anjali Bhagwat, first clarified on the government order before agreeing on Sharad’s name.

The recommendations for the Khel Ratna surpassed last year’s record of six. The recommendations for Arjuna Award also eclipsed last year’s count of 27.

Khel Ratna recommendations

Neeraj Chopra (athletics), Ravi Dahiya (wrestling), PR Sreejesh (hockey), Lovlina Borgohain (boxing), Mithali Raj (cricket), Sunil Chhetri (football), Avani Lekhara (para-shooting), Sumit Antil (para-athletics), Pramod Bhagat (para-badminton), Krishna Nagar (para-badminton) and Manish Narwal (para-shooting).

Arjuna Award recommendations

Arpinder Singh (athletics), Simranjit Kaur (boxing), Shikhar Dhawan (cricket), Bhavani Devi (fencing), Monika (hockey), Vandana Katariya (hockey), Sandeep Narwal (kabaddi), Himani Uttam Parab (mallakhamb), Abhishek Verma (shooting), Ankita Raina (tennis), Deepak Punia (wrestling), Dilpreet Singh (hockey), Harmanpreet Singh (hockey), Rupinder Pal Singh (hockey), Surendra Kumar (hockey), Amit Rohidas (hockey), Birendra Lakra (hockey), Sumit (hockey), Nilakanta Sharma (hockey), Hardik Singh (hockey), Vivek Sagar Prasad (hockey), Gurjant Singh (hockey), Mandeep Singh (hockey), Shamsher Singh (hockey), Lalit Kumar Upadhyay (hockey), Varun Kumar (hockey), Simranjeet Singh (hockey), Yogesh Kathuniya (para athletics), Nishad Kumar (para athletics), Praveen Kumar (para athletics), Suhash Yathiraj (para badminton), Singhraj Adhana (para shooting), Bhavina Patel (para table tennis), Harvinder Singh (para archery), Sharad Kumar (para athletics)