New Delhi: Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and controversies seem to have some kind bonding.
Once again the award embroiled in controversy involving ace woman discus thrower Krishna Poonia and double trap shooter Ronjan Sodhi with later chosen for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the country's highest sports award, by a selection panel headed by billiards ace Michael Ferreira on Tuesday.
After the announcement of the award on Tuesday, disappointed Poonia said that injustice has been done to her and that she would take up the matter with sports minister Jitendra Singh.
According to sources one of the members of the selection panel too is not happy with the selection process.
It's reliably learnt that the committee was initially voting between Poonia and HN Girisha, high jump silver medalist at last year's London Paralympics but the late arrival of panel member and former shooter Anjali Bhagwat changed things drastically with Girisha's name replaced by that of Sodhi.
However Poonia and Sodhi were tied at 6-all in the voting but the Sports Authority of India as well as Railway Sports Promotion Board members saw Sodhi through though they did not have the voting right.
Reigning Asian Games champion Sodhi had won World Cup titles and equalled world records but flopped at the London Olympics where he failed to reach the final.
On the other hand Punia won the 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medal in New Delhi and reached the final in London, where she finished sixth.
