CHENNAI: On a day when the national sports awards were announced, Jyothi Surekha Vennam’s family was left distraught. She has been ignored for Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna and her father Surendra Kumar Vennam claimed that she was ignored despite stellar performances this season and in the last four years.
He said that she should have been selected on the basis of her performance at the Asian Games this year and her stellar performances at the Archery World Championships and World Cups. “I call this historic wrong judgement,”
Surendra Vennam told this daily from Vijayawada. Jyothi’s father said her historic three gold at the Asian Games too have been ignored. “She should not have been ignored. I am planning to approach the court on Friday,” said Surendra, who felt her points in the four-year cycle would have been enough to fetch her Khel Ratna. He said that he already had discussions with lawyers in Vijayawada and felt he had a strong case.
In the four-year cycle, she has won some 23 medals out of which 11 were gold. She won three at the Asian Games this time and one at the world championships as well. “Our family is completely shattered,” said Surendra. “We have devoted so much to her sport and with her medals she should have got more than 148 points.” He has listed out international 53 medals and more than 60 in national events.