New Delhi: Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik has expressed her displeasure at missing out on the Arjuna awards this year, in a tweet addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju.
"I am proud to have been conferred the Khel Ratna. Every sportsperson dreams of winning all the awards. A sportsperson puts her life at risk for it. I also dream of seeing Arjuna award winner against my name," the 27-year-old wrestler wrote in a message, of which she tweeted the screenshot while tagging Modi and Rijiju.
"Which other medal should I get for the country to be honoured with the Arjuna award? Or in this wrestling life, I would never have the good luck of winning this award?" Sakshi said. She has in the past bagged Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India.
माननीय प्रधानमंत्री @narendramodi जी ओर माननीय खेल मंत्री @KirenRijiju जी । pic.twitter.com/YF1hQuJfPi
— Sakshi Malik (@SakshiMalik) August 22, 2020
The selection committee led by Justice Mukundakam Sharma (retd) had recommended 29 names for the Arjuna awards to the Sports Ministry.
The list also included Sakshi and 2017 weightlifting world champion Mirabai Chanu, but the decision of bestowing the Arjuna on them was left to the discretion of the Sports Ministry.
The Ministry decided against bestowing the Arjuna on Sakshi and Mirabai as the two have already been conferred with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.