Who will cry for Premachandran, Uday Prabhu?

Kochi, Aug 12: Is KK Premachandran's omission from the list of Arjuna Awardees justified ? The last Indian sprinter to win a silver medal...

Kochi, Aug 12: Is KK Premachandran’s omission from the list of Arjuna Awardees justified ? The last Indian sprinter to win a silver medal, the second-placed athlete in the 400 metre race at the 1982 Asian Games, is being continuously overlooked for the honour by the powers-that-be even as those who won laurels several years after his feat have been considered for the award. And in a good number of cases in the recent years, the award has been bestowed upon athletes who have credentials not as good as that of Premachandran.

In the last one decade, Arjuna Award in athletics has stirred up controversies. The credibility of the award took a beating when a sprinter known for his proximity to some Amateur Athletics Federation of India (AAFI) bosses, was considered for the award in the mid-80s even without any laudable achievement at the international level. (The athlete did not even win a gold at the SAF Games, considered to be an Indian domain until the great Sri Lankan resurgence in 1995 at Chennai).

Again,at the fag end of the ’80s, a glamourous woman athlete, who later shifted her focus to films, was conferred with the honour, bypassing the achievements of several others. Strangely, she had not won a single individual medal at the Asian level during her career spanning about a decade.

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Outraged at her selection, Mercy Kuttan, the last Indian jumper to win an Asian Games medal (1982 silver medallist in long jump) staged an open protest in the capital and she was duly considered for the honour the next year.

Mercy had on her side the powerful Bihar State Amateur Athletics Association to take up her case.

KC Rosakutty, the ageing middle-distance runner, was fortunate to be considered in 1995 on the strength of her two individual Asian-level medals (silver at the ATF, Delhi, 1989) and bronze in the 1990 Asiad, both in 800m).Rosakutty, angered by Mercy’s selection for the honour, had made a public protest at that time. It is to her credit that the veteran athlete managed to win two medals at the last Asiadafter missing the Hiroshima edition (1994).

Rosa’s selection, though seemingly genuine, had provoked Padmini Thomas, a 400m bronze medallist at the 1982 Asian Games and she made a big hue and cry over the issue. The AAFI mandarins found a way to please her and they had only Padmini in mind when she was considered for the honour in 1996. The cases substantiate the point that only weeping babies get milk.

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History repeated itself last year when another woman athlete with only one ATF bronze medal to boast of found favour with the AAFI bosses to recommend her case for the Arjuna Award. More than her exploits on the tracks, she was known for her training skills after quitting the scene. (And at least a few of the current crop of athletes owe their initial lessons to her).

When she was chosen for the award, shot-putter SD Eashen dropped a bombshell and highlighted the “ill-treatment” meted out to him by the AAFI, even though he had enough feats to back his claim. The Karnataka athlete was good enough toseek justice for the likes of Premachandran and 1978 double silver medallist Uday K Prabhu. And “weeping baby” Eashan has got his due this time.

A notable feature of this year’s awards is that athletics have got big representation. But who will cry for the likes of Premachandran and Uday K Prabhu who have been conveniently overlooked ?