CHENNAI: Unhappy over exclusion of his name from the list of Dronacharya awardees (regular), hockey coach Sandeep Sangwan moved Delhi High Court. In his petition, heard on Tuesday, Sangwan sought the court to quash the decision of the ministry of youth affairs and sports dropping his name from the list. The court has listed the matter for further hearing on November 12, a day before the award ceremony is scheduled.
Soon after the list was officially announced a few days back, Sangwan told this daily he felt humiliated especially as the selection committee had recommended his name for the honour and the same was made public. “Not only me. Everyone whose name was made public around a week ago after the committee recommended his/her name is now feeling humiliated,” he had said then.
Sangwan’s counsel Rahul Mehra submitted in the court that the petitioner was ignored despite being the most meritorious candidate who secured the highest points for the sport of hockey in terms of the scheme for Dronacharya Award for outstanding coaches. The ministry was represented by Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma and standing counsel Anil Soni.
“I deserve the award and even the selection committee thought so in its recommendation. This honour will motivate me to do better in years to come. No matter what the outcome would be, I will respect the court’s decision. I hope the ministry accepts my request,” Sangwan told this daily. Supporting his cause, the petitioner claimed that he is a highly qualified and experienced hockey coach, having trained four of the members of the team that won a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The plea filed through advocate R Arunadhri Iyer said: “The petitioner is given to understand that for the sport of hockey, four persons had applied, including the petitioner, and of this, he had scored more than twice of what the next highest candidate in terms of the Scheme and Criteria. The petitioner is also given to understand from reliable and trustworthy sources that the candidate who eventually has now been awarded the Award had scored less than half of what the petitioner had scored in terms of the Scheme/ Criteria.”