Jwala Gutta slams Padma award snub: Aren't my credentials good enough?

Doubles badminton specialist Jwala Gutta questioned the criteria for selecting recipients of the Padma Awards, the country’s highest civilian awards, after being left out among the various other sports persons in the list

Jwala Gutta

New Delhi: Doubles badminton specialist Jwala Gutta questioned the criteria for selecting recipients of the Padma Awards, the country’s highest civilian awards, after being left out among the various other sports persons in the list announced yesterday.

“I always wondered the concept of applying for particular award which is the most reputed awards in our country.. but then that’s what the procedure is.. so I did apply...applied cos it’s prestigious to have the award..cos I thought maybe I made the people of my country proud by my game and deserved it,” wrote a hurt Gutta on her Facebook page.

Cricket captain Virat Kohli, hockey captain PR Sreejesh, 2016 Olympic medallist wrestler Sakshi Malik, and para-athletes Deepa Malik and Mariyappan Thangavelu were named for the Padma Shri.

Gymnast sensation Dipa Karmakar, discus thrower Vikas Gowda and blind cricketer Shekhar Naik also have been awarded India’s fourth-highest civilian honour.

Gutta, who won the gold in women’s doubles at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, apart from bronze in 2011 World Championships in London said: “Aren’t my credentials good enough? Well I am really curious about the whole system..My two consecutive medals, Delhi CWG gold and Glasgow silver is not enough, My World Championships medal is not enough, I was top 10 ranked in this women doubles and mixed doubles and my superseries performance and medals in Grand Prix gold is not enough,” she added.

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