NEW DELHI: Greco roman wrestling coach Mahavir Prasad and boxing coach G Manoharan were among the five sportspersons recommended by the Dronacharya awards selection committee to the sports ministry here Monday.
The committee, which met here for the first time, also named Jose Jacob (rowing), N.Lingappa (athletics) and Gurcharan Singh Gogi (judo) for the award.
Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) secretary-general Raj Singh told IANS that nominating Prasad for the Dronacharya was a big recognition for greco roman wrestling.
"Mahavir is a deserving candidate for the Droncharya. He has worked hard for greco roman wrestling. We had also recommended the names of freestyle chief coach Vinod Kumar and women's coach Mahavir Singh Phogat," WFI secretary general Raj Singh told IANS.
Vinod Kumar was overlooked due to a clerical error in his form. Phogat's daughter Babita Kumar and niece Vinesh had won gold medals in the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Phogat's elder daughter Geeta had won the first gold medal from the sport in the 2010 Commonwealth Games. It was not immeddiately known why he was not considered.