NEW DELHI: The process of picking this year’s national sports awards winners is set to be postponed until after the Olympic Games to ensure that medal winners in Tokyo are duly considered by the selection panel, which is yet to be instituted. The Olympics will run from July 23 to August 8.
The awards are given away each year by the country’s president on August 29, the National Sports Day, which is also the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand. s
“We have already received nominations for this year’s National Sports Awards. The dates of nominations are closed as of now. But in our last meeting, we have discussed about including Olympic medallists, if any, for consideration in this year’s awards,” a sports ministry source told PTI. “The Olympics end on August 8, so the process for selection of awardees might get delayed,” he added.
The ceremony itself could also be delayed if the selection panel is unable to finalise names of the awardees within 10 days of the Games’ ending. “We will take a final call on this issue soon. We are planning to have another meeting just after the Olympics to decide on this. If any of our athletes win an Olympic medal, he or she will definitely be considered. “If we can conduct the meeting within a week or 10 days after the Olympics, then the awards will given on August 29, otherwise it (the awards function) might be postponed by a few days,” the source said.
More than 120 Indian athletes would be vying for medals at the Games amid strict health safety protocols because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Games will be held without any spectators.
—PTI

Press Trust of India