State sportsmen delighted over Arjuna honours

While Thangavelu Mariappan (athletics), who won the gold at Rio Paralympics last year and Arokia Rajiv (athletics) were over the moon on hearing the news, the recommendation came as a huge relief for Anthony Amalraj (table tennis), who almost lost hopes of bagging the prestigious honour. 

The Tamil Nadu paddler had been one of the most consistent performers. He has been the national champion, won the silver medal in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow (doubles event) and a team silver and mixed doubles bronze in the 2010 CWG edition. In the Commonwealth Championship, Amalraj won the gold (team event), silver (men’s singles) and bronze (doubles) in 2015, apart from a team silver in the 2013 edition. However, these laurels weren’t enough to impress the jury every single time. 

“I had left it to God. It has always been a case of ‘so near, yet so far’ for me. I had done everything that must be done on the table in the past. The results were there, the performances were there but somehow the award eluded me. Now, I must thank God for this blessing,” Amalraj said on the sidelines of the PSPB inter-unit table tennis championship in New Delhi. 

However, Amalraj is taking this as a motivation. “There is no element of surprise now in me being recommended. This will push me to perform better and break into the top-100. We have five Indians who have already breached that mark and it is high time, I got my name on that list too. The Arjuna Award will be a good motivator for that,” he said adding that his family in Chennai has begun celebrations and he has been pounded with innumerable phone calls. 

For Mariappan, the Arjuna Award is a boost not only for him, but for his peers. “We now know that we aren’t left behind by the authorities. This will give Paralympians motivation to perform well,” he said.

The Paralympian, who is currently training in Bengaluru for the Asian Championships, said he would soon realise his long-term dream of building an academy to support athletes. “I have the support of my coach and my family. I want to make sure that I do my best to justify this recognition. I want to bring more laurels and help budding athletes by starting an academy with good facilities so that no one is left wanting for basic needs. That would be a big boost for all of us,” he remarked. 

Also, Devendra Jhajharia became the first paralympian to be recommended for India’s highest sporting honour — the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award along with Sardar Singh. Javelin thrower Jhajharia, the first Indian to win two Paralympic gold medals, was the first choice of the selection committee, headed by Justice (Retd) C K Thakkar.

Khel Ratna recommendations: Devendra Jhajharia (Para- Athlete) and Sardar Singh (Hockey). 

Arjuna Awards recommendations: V J Surekha (Archery), Khushbir Kaur (Athletics), Arokin Rajiv (Athletics), Prasanthi Singh (Basketball), L Devendro Singh (Boxing), Cheteshwar Pujara (Cricket), Harmanpreet Kaur (Cricket), Oinam Bembem Devi (Football), SSP Chawrasia (Golf), S V Sunil (Hockey), Jasvir Singh (Kabaddi), P N Prakash (Shooting), A Amalraj (Table Tennis), Saketh Myneni (Tennis), Satyawart Kadian (Wrestling), Mariyappan Thangavelu (Para-Athlete) and Varun Bhati (Para-Athlete).