The Karnataka high court stayed Sania Mirza’s Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award after Paralympic athlete H N Girisha filed a plea against the recommendation of the Indian tennis ace for the country’s highest sporting honour.
The 2012 London Paralympics silver medallist Girisha was upset at the way Sania has been recommended by the Union sports ministry-appointed selection panel.
The Hassan-born high jumper, who won bronze at the 2014 Incheon Asian Para Games, said he was disappointed that the panel overlooked his performance.
In contrast, Girisha stated, he has 90 marks to his account as per the criteria: 70 marks for winning a silver medal at the London Paralympics in 2012 and 20 marks for a bronze medal in Asian Games in 2014. The marks were earned from 2011 to 2014.
Sania’s name was recommended by a Sports Ministry-constituted awards committee headed by Justice V K Bali, the retired Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court. The committee included eminent athletes such as Dola Banerjee, M M Somayya and Bhogeshwar Baruah and sports journalists apart from top officials of the Sports Ministry.
The 28-year-old, who has won three mixed doubles Grand Slams in her career, beat competition from squash player Deepika Pallikal, discus thrower Vikas Gowda, track and field star Tintu Luka, rising shuttler P V Sindhu, and hockey captain Sardar Singh for the coveted honour.
