Kolkata: Asian billiards champion Sourav Kothari today requested the sports ministry to reconsider his nomination for the Arjuna Award as a denial would also "affect" aspiration of thousands of talented young cueists.
"It is my humble plea to you (sports minister Sarbananda Sonowal) to once again consider my nomination. The denial will not only leave me crestfallen but will surely affect the aspirations of thousands of talented young sportspersons in this noble sport which has brought unparallelled honour for the country since last five decades," Kothari said in a letter to all the media.
According to Kothari, his nomination for the Award sent by the Billiards and Snooker Federation of Indiawas turned down at the last moment.
Kothari also said the stipulation of 16-17 limit for the Arjuna Award was "not healthy" especially when the awardees are chosen in the year following the Commonwealth and the Asian Games.
"As 2014 was the year of Asian and Commonwealth Games, therefore I understand that there may have been many deserving candidates according to the esteemed panel, but it would be a travesty of justice if someone's true and extraordinary performance is denied in order to give way to the others," he said.
Kothari further requested to "increase the number of awardees to accommodate me purely on merit and overruling the prevailing fixed limit... As was done earlier in the Asian Games year."
Earlier, BSFI secretary S Balasubramaniam had wrote a similar letter to all the media heads urging the sports ministry to reconsider the name of Kothari and two-time world ladies billiards and snooker champion Chitra Magimairaj.
