Path to Glory by Hindustan Times

HINDUSTAN TIMES, NEW DELHI WE DNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2015

LOT OF PEOPLE MAKE UP THEIR MIND ABOUT CRICKETERS. THEY SEE THE PERSON ON THE FIELD AND BUILD ASSUMPTIONS. › KUMAR SANGAKKARA, On cricketers’ public image

It’s conﬁrmed: Sania to get Khel Ratna

UNANIMOUS Panel decides to recommend tennis star’s name for country’s highest sporting honour Vinayak Padmadeo ■

vinayak.padmadeo@hindustantimes.com

NEW DELHI: Tennis star Sania Mirza

was on Tuesday recommended for the country’s highest sporting honour, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna for the year 2014-15, by the awards committee headed by retired Chief Justice of Kerala High Court Justice VK Bali. The committee also forwarded to the sports ministry names of 17 sportspersons for the Arjuna Awards. This year the number of Arjuna Awards has been increased from 15 to 17 as the number of applicants was higher on account of the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games held last year. Such was the keenness among the committee members to recommend Sania for the top award that a member of the panel — a journalist — started saying from the very outset that the marks awarded to her did not quite justify her achievements. Strangely, marks are not awarded for Grand Slam victories. Justice Bali was in favour of squash player Dipika Pallikal’s name being recommended because of her tour wins. But when it was pointed out to him by the journalist that Sania’s wins had not been factored in, the argument sealed the issue in the latter’s favour. The application of discus thrower and gold-medallist at the 2014 Asian Games at Incheon, Seema Punia, did not come up for discussion as the members felt that “tainted sportspersons shouldn’t ever be considered for the awards”. Punia was warned by the IAAF for a doping infringement in the junior World Championships in 2000 and she

PATH TO GLORY <<

SANIA MIRZA

OVERALL

HER MAJOR WINS

World No 1 in women’s doubles, Sania Mirza became only the second tennis player after Leander Paes to be recommended for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna.

WTA TITLES: One singles, 27 doubles

WOMEN’S DOUBLES Year Championship

Partner

GRAND SLAMS: One doubles, three mixed doubles

2015 Wimbledon

Martina Hingis

HIGHEST RANKING: No 1 in doubles since April 13, 2015

2014 US Open

Bruno Soares

2012 French Open

M Bhupathi

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also tested positive for an anabolic steroid in 2006. The next big discussion was on whether cricketers should get the award. Some felt that the awards “don’t seem to matter to them as they don’t come for the ceremony”. However, a majority felt that the game could not be ignored, and hence, Rohit Sharma got the nod for the Arjuna. Kabaddi player Manjeet Chhillar got all the support from the panel. But Justice Bali pointed out that if Chhillar’s name was recommended then his counterpart in the women’s section, Abhilasha Mhatre, could also not be ignored as she had garnered more points. In the end, both got the nod. There were more twists and turns at the fag-end of the meeting when the committee found they had not deliberated on the name of weightlifter S Sathish Kumar. It started off a chain of event that eventually led to hockey player Ritu Rani’s name being dropped. While most were in favour of adding Sathish’s name, Justice Bali refused to increase the number of awardees to 18. Some members then argued if Rohit Sharma’s name could be dropped to accommodate Sathish. But the idea was shot down as a few members said they would write a dissent note in the file. SAI director-general Injeti Srinivas played a crucial role in the proceedings by being absolutely dispassionate and clinical in presenting individual players’ cases to the committee. His logical argument invariably convinced the other members.

She scripted history by becoming the first Indian to clinch a women’s doubles Grand Slam title when she partnered Martina Hingis for the Wimbledon title this year.

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The 28-year-old beat competition from squash player Dipika Pallikal, discus thrower Vikas Gowda, track and field star Tintu Luka, shuttler PV Sindhu, and hockey captain Sardar Singh for the honour. ■

ASIAN GAMES RECORD G 2 S 3 B 3 TOTAL 8

HT had carrried the news titled ed ‘Sania set to win Khel el Ratna’ on August 1, after the ministry used clause se 5.3 under the awards scheme to nominate her for the Khel hel Ratna.

SANDEEP KUMAR (archery)

Team gold in 18th Asian Championship, Individual silver in 18th Asian Championship, Team gold in 2014 Asian Games.

M.R. POOVAMMA (athletics)

4x400 mtrs gold in Asian Games 2014 and individual bronze medal in 400 mts; individual silver in Asian track & field championships in 2013 and gold in 4x400 mts relay.

KIDAMBI SRIKANTH (badminton)

Presently ranked fourth in the world. Defeated Lin Dan to win the Super Series Premier men’s title in China in 2014.

MANDEEP JANGRA

(boxing)

Silver medal in Asian Championship in 2013; Silver medal in Commonwealth Games 2014. (Wushu)

WHAT HAPPENS NOW

›

SANIA MIRZA, after her name was recommended for Khel Ratna

MR POOVAMMA, after her name was recommended for Arjuna Award

I’m not being able to describe how happy I am right now. Every athlete wants to get awards and recognition from the government. It is a dream come true

N ANANTHANARAYANAN

With India not being able to train on Tuesday, and with no idea about the pitch, skipper Virat Kohli did not have to talk about the bowling combination. AFP PHOTO

EVENLY POISED

While India have the edge over Sri Lanka in Test cricket, when it comes to matches between the two sides at Galle, it is the hosts who have a more favourable record Played

India won

Sri Lanka won

Drawn

Total

In India

In Sri Lanka

At Galle

at Galle, against Pakistan was a disasterous four-day defeat after the opening day was washed out. While the batsmen were spun out by leg-spinner Yasir Shah, left-arm spinner Rangana Herath managed one wicket. But India have put themselves under pressure with talk of all-out aggression. Although they will miss the injured Murali Vijay, young opener KL Rahul, who hit a century in his second Test in Sydney, looks in good touch. The series could well be decided by

Kohli’s captaincy and the bowling attack. COMPOSURE MATTERS The pacers cannot afford another off-day like in Australia, and Kohli will need to be more flexible as captain, which he admitted. “Even if it’s an off-day, you still have time to re-group and think about what went wrong. If it’s a good day, you can learn from it. As a captain you always feel more time with the team, and with more games to play, there are better chances of

2011; silver in World Championships 2013; bronze in Asian Games 2014; bronze in Asian Championships 2012.

pionship 2014; silver in CWG; silver in Asian Games 2014.

DIPA KARMAKAR

Bronze medal in world artistic championship 2014; Two gold and three silver in Asian Championships 2014.

creating an environment that you require the team to be in.” While the Adelaide Test experiment of all-out attack can’t be applied every time, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will have to find their rhythm early. “It really depends on what the opposition is playing like or what the situation demands you to do,” he said. “But it really depends on the start of a Test match or a series and accordingly you have to conserve your energy or your resources. There is no point going all out if there is nothing happening --- for example in the wicket for any bowler if there is no point wasting his energy too much.” For that India will need to add composure to skill. “Where we lacked in Australia was in composure. That’s something we spoke about as a squad. You can see that the kind of times we had in Australia, in those sessions where we did leak a few runs, that has hurt them and they want to improve on that which is a great sign.”

ANUP KUMAR YAMA (Roller Skating)

(gymnastics)

First Indian women to win an international medal -- won bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

ABHILASHA MHATRE (kabbadi)

P.R. SREEJESH

Team gold in 2014 Asian Games; team gold in 2012 world cup.

Team gold at the 2014 Asian Games; Team silver at the 2014 Commonwealth Games; Team silver in Asia Cup in 2013.

BABITA

(Hockey)

SAWARN SINGH

(wrestling)

Bronze in world championship in 2012; bronze in Asian Championship in 2013; gold in Commonwealth Games 2014.

ROHIT SHARMA

(rowing)

Bronze medal in Asian Rowing Championships 2011; Gold medal in Asian Rowing Championship in 2013; bronze medal in men’s single scull in 2014 Asian Games.

MANJEET CHHILLAR (kabbadi)

Team gold in 2014 Asian Games; team gold in 2010 Asian Games.

JITU RAI

(cricket):

Highest individual score of 264 in ODIs; only player to have two double centuries in ODIs; member of the 2013 Champions Trophy winning team. ship 2014; gold in 2014 Commonwealth Games.

BAJRANG

(wrestling)

Gold medal in 2014 Asian Games; silver medal in world champion-

The recommendations will now be sent to the Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal for final decision.

HT @ SRI LANKA

SPUN OUT He was relaxed ahead of his first full-fledged series as skipper. A question about him jabbing outside off-stump to be dismissed cheaply of late was met with a wide grin. “Jabbing at the ball has nothing to do with the captaincy,” he joked. India will be aware of Sri Lanka’s frailties, though Galle is their fortress. At home, Sri Lanka won nine out of 10 Test series between August 2004 and August 2009, during the Muttiah Muralitharan era. Out of the next 10 series, only three have gone their way. Their last outing

COMMONWEALTH GAMES RECORD G - S 1 B 1 TOTAL 2

(shooting)

Y. SANATHOI DEVI

Aggressive India looking to get combination right in first Test

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2009 Australian Open M Bhupathi

committee comprising eminent athletes, journalists and ministry ARJUNA AWARDEES Aofficials recommended 17 names, two more than last year

Whooaa! waking up in Toronto to the most amazing news from back home.. Thank you everyone .. Thank you so much #soblessed #khelratna

Dated 01-08-2015

MIXED DOUBLES

G-GOLD, S-SILVER, B-BRONZE

Silver in World Championships

GALLE: Sri Lanka’s retiring great Kumar Sangakkara poured his 15 years of perspective, saying that it was important that future Sri Lanka players showed “situational intelligence”. He could well have spoken for rivals India, as they square up in the first Test starting on Wednesday. On their last full series, in Australia, India’s fast bowlers let the hosts off the hook in the second Test in Brisbane, pitching it repeatedly short to let Mitchell Johnson, subdued until then, take the match away. A reprieved Australia killed off India in four days to go 2-0 up in the series. As on the last two days, the Galle International Stadium ground stayed under covers with truck tyres to hold them down. With more rain forecast for the week, it remains to be seen how the Test pans out. With India not being able to train on Tuesday, and with no idea about the pitch, skipper Virat Kohli didn’t have to talk about the bowling combination.

shortstories

Bronze in Asian Championships 2013; bronze in world championship 2013; silver in Asian cham-

The awards will be given away by President Pranab Mukherjee on August 29, the National Sports Day.

S. SATHISH KUMAR

(weightlifting)

Gold medal in 2012 Commonwealth Championships; gold in 2013 Commonwealth Championships; gold in 2014 Asian Games.

SHARATH. M. GAYAKWAD

(para swimming)

silver in 200m IM, five bronze medals in 50m FS, 100m BRS, 100M backstroke, 100m fly, 4x100 m medley .

The Khel Ratna carries a prize money of Rs 7.5 lakh along with a citation

Arjuna awards come with a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh and a citation

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Ahmed Shehzad

INDISCIPLINED TAG UNFAIR: SHEHZAD KARACHI: Pakistan opener

Ahmed Shehzad has dismissed the tag of being indisciplined and having attitude problems while making it clear that he didn’t like being compared to Virat Kohli. “I have my own style and I like to enjoy life but that does not mean I am not a team man, good professional athlete or I don’t respect my teammates. Many impressions about me are misplaced,” Shehzad said. On the comparison with Kohli, Shehzad said: “I’m sure when I have played the number of ODIs and Tests that he has played I would have also achieved a lot. But right now I have played just 70 he has played double that figure so comparisons should not be made by the media.”

SA A-Australia A match rescheduled for today CHENNAI: In view of the illness

of 10 South African players, the schedule of the cricket tri-series has been reworked with the South Africa A and Australia A match to be held on Wednesday; the final league game between India A and South Africa A will be played on Aug 13, while the final will take place on Aug 14. The rescheduling was done at the last moment.

todayontv BADMINTON

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ■ 7:30am, live on Star Sports 4 & HD4. CRICKET

SRI LANKA V INDIA ■ 10:00am, 1st Test, day 1, live on Sony Six & HD. KABADDI

PRO LEAGUE ■ 7:50pm, Bengaluru v Mumbai, live on Star Sports 2, 3, HD2 & HD3.