New Delhi: The Sports Ministry is open to the idea of considering outstanding performers of next month’s Asian Games for this year’s ‘National Sports Awards’, which will be conducted, September 25 instead of the conventional August 29 to ensure that athletes don’t miss out due to their participation in the continental showpiece.
The National Sports Awards ceremony are conducted August 29 at the Rashtrapati Bhawan here to commemorate the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand as the ‘National Sports Day’. However, with the Asian continental extravaganza set to take place August 18 to September, the ministry decided to change the awards ceremony date.
Sports secretary Rahul Bhatnagar said Wednesday the decision was taken to ensure maximum participation from sportspersons and the Sports Ministry has already received a green signal from the Rashtrapati Bhawan on the change of dates.
“The Sports Ministry has decided to shift the date as it coincides with the Asian Games. We want maximum participation from athletes, coaches and officials at the awards ceremony so we wrote to Rashtrapati Bhawan, requesting for the change of date. They have agreed,” Bhatnagar told this agency.
The official also confirmed that performances at the Asian Games will be considered for the sports awards.
“The athletes who will receive the sports awards this year have already been selected on the basis of their entries received before April 30. But the government has provision to name outstanding sportspersons of Asian Games to the recommendation committee,” Bhatnagar said.
“The recommendation committee will have a meeting after the Asian Games and it will be up to them to decide. If they decide to include some more deserving names, they can be included along with the selected ones,” Bhatnagar added.
Key notes
Shift from convention as awards ceremony date shifted to September 25 instead of August 29
Govt can has provision to send names of outstanding Asian Games performers to the recommendation committee
