New Delhi: Ace archer Rahul Banerjee and para swimmer Prasanta Karmakar were among 19 sportspersons named for Arjuna awards, on Friday.
The selection panel, headed by sprint queen PT Usha, also picked up cricketer Zaheer Khan, tennis star Somdev Dev Varman and footballer Sunil Chetri for the prestigious award. Rifleman Gagan Narang has been chosen for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, country’s highest sporting honour.
A separate committee, headed by former wrestling champion Satpal, has also picked up five coaches for the Dronacharya award. Leading the pack is veteran athletics trainer Kuntal Roy, whose wards include top stars like Sanjay Rai, Soma Biswas and Sushmita Sinha Roy.
“It is a huge honour…. I am not sure whether really I deserve it,” said Kuntal Roy, who has produced innumerable national and international medal winners during his 40 years career as a coach. “I am not yet finished; I am still waiting do my best job on the track,” he added.
Karmakar’s deeds in the pool have finally been recognised after his bronze medal effort in the Commonwealth Games last year. Also a silver medallist in the Asian meet in 2006, the 29-year-old swimmer, who lost his right palm in a road accident at a young age, once decided to quit the sport after his plea for a job was ignored by the West Bengal government.
For Rahul Banerjee, the Arjuna would be the second such award in his family as his elder sister, Dola, became the second woman archer to win it in 2005. Rahul has obviously been chosen for his gold medal effort in recurve individual in the Commonwealth Games last year.
Ten-metre rifle shooter Gagan Narang was third time lucky as he was ignored for Khel Ratna on two previous occasions. Denied of the award last year, Narang even threatened to quit the sport and had to be persuaded to participate in the Commonwealth Games, where he bagged four gold medals.
Sources, however, said that discus thrower Krishna Poonia was also a hot contender for the award before the committee decided in Narang’s favour at the last moment.
An elated Chetri, meanwhile, said that the award couldn't have come at a better time and will be a boost as India take on UAE in a World Cup qualifier, on Saturday.
“It certainly is a boost. If you perform consistently, you will be awarded — the message is loud and clear. In that sense, all of us would be eager to prove ourselves. It’s a tough challenge,” Chetri said. Chetri is proud of the fact that his name will now be uttered along with stalwarts of Indian football.
“It means a lot. Look at the sportspersons who have been honoured with the Award over the Years. And don’t forget the list of football greats on that list too. From PK Banerjee to Dipak Mondal, the list boasts of the ‘who’s who’ of Indian football. “Now that my name is in the list too, besides the honour, it’s indeed a privilege and motivation to do better,” he added.
“When I started playing football, I never felt I would end up becoming a professional footballer. But I was destined to be so. I started playing because the game appealed to me; I started to love the sport.
“Eventually, it became my profession — my bread and butter. But one shouldn’t play football to gain materialistic pleasure. I just want to tell youngsters to play for their passion. The rest will follow,” he concluded.
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