HS Prannoy slammed the 12-member selection panel after being snubbed from Arjuna Awards nominations. (PTI/File Photo)Hours after being snubbed from being nominated for the Arjuna Awards, HS Prannoy slammed the 12-member selection panel, saying, “performance is least considered in our country.” The Indian shuttler in a tweet also claimed that if players want their name in the nomination list, then they should have strong backing from influential people.
“If you ever want your name in the Awards list, make sure you have people who will get your name to the list. Performance is least considered in our country. Sad state of our county but can’t help it. Let go and just play until you can,” Prannoy tweeted.
If you ever want your name in the Awards list , make sure you have people who will get your name to the list. Performance is least considered in our country. Sad state of our county but can’t help it. Let go and just play until you can. #arjunaawards
— PRANNOY HS (@PRANNOYHSPRI) August 17, 2019
Bahut badiya 👏👏👏 The reason for me not being nominated is I dint have performance last year 👀👀. I guess these days you come into top 8 without performance 🤷♂️👍. #ArjunaAward pic.twitter.com/ApPvAk3wDA
— PRANNOY HS (@PRANNOYHSPRI) August 18, 2019
He also lamented that only two badminton players had their names in the nomination list. B Sai Praneeth and Pramod Bhagat, who represents India in para-badminton, are the only two players among the 19 names that were listed in the nominations for Arjuna Awards.
Buddy can you count the number of indian men badminton players who have been in top 10 in the world? Only a handful.. He deserved it for his recent performances..
— Paraa (@paraa_desi) August 17, 2019
Ah not enough !! Not upto the mark according to committee ??
— PRANNOY HS (@PRANNOYHSPRI) August 17, 2019
After bowing out early from the recent Thailand Open and the Japan Open, the shuttler is preparing to fight for a major title at the upcoming BWF World Championships, which starts from Monday.
After bowing out in three quarterfinals in the year, a lot will be expected from Prannoy to overturn his poor show at the world arena. In his last stint in the Hyderabad Open, the World No 31 lost against a lower-ranked Jia Wei Tan, casting doubt about his composure in big events.
List of Sportspersons nominated for Arjuna Awards:
Tajinder Pal Singh Toor (athletics), Mohammed Anas Yahiya (athletics), S Bhaskaran (bodybuilding), Sonia Lather (boxing), Ravindra Jadeja (cricket), Chinglensana Singh Kangujam (hockey), Ajay Thakur (kabaddi), Gaurav Singh Gill (motorsports), Pramod Bhagat (para sports-badminton), Anjum Moudgil (shooting), Harmeet Rajul Desai (table tennis), Pooja Dhanda (wrestling), Fouaad Mirza (equestrian), Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (football), Poonam Yadav (cricket), Swapna Burman (athletics), Sundar Singh Gurjar (para sports-athletics), Bhamidipati Sai Praneeth (badminton), Simran Singh Shergill (polo)
