After all the noise, Saina misses out on Padma; Sushil too

NEW DELHI: Saina Nehwal's recent show of petulance in demanding a Padma award this time has led to a domino effect with the ace shuttler not figuring in the list of winners that the home ministry released on Sunday, on Republic Day eve. What it also did, was to claim Sushil Kumar in its wake as the two-time Olympic medal winner too was missing from the list.

The controversy had arisen when the sports ministry had initially recommended Sushil's name with the backing of the Wrestling Federation of India.

A miffed Saina believed she too was deserving of the honour.

"I was really sad that my name was not sent by the sports ministry. I hope the ministry looks into this and I will be more than happy if both me and Sushil get the award as we both won medals in 2012 Olympics," she was widely reported to have said earlier this month. Pushed into a corner, the ministry assured Saina that her case would be seriously considered.

On Sunday, while Saina — fresh from winning the Syed Modi GP in Lucknow — was not available for comment, the announcement took Sushil by complete surprise when TOI informed him after he emerged from a late training session. Sushil had almost taken the award as given and would not believe he wasn't on the list released by the home ministry's release of awardees.

What adds to the wrestler's strange dilemma was that the lone Padma Bhushan in sports was awarded to Satpal Singh, Sushil's long time coach and as it happens, his father-in-law.

"Nahi mila!?" he asked before confidently adding that that he had won the award. "I have got the award. Can you please check it again," he said repeatedly.

His confidence forced us to check and re-check the list for a possible slip, but to be fair, Sushil may not have been in reckoning since the guidelines say that a minimum period of five years between two Padma awards to the same person is mandatory. Sushil was awarded with the Padma Shri award in 2011, and his application was not considered last year too.

When told that Satpal was home ministry's choice for the award, the son-in-law's tone echoed disappointment. "I may not have got it then. Ajeeb sa lag raha hai (I am feeling weird)," he said. "An athlete's job is to work hard and speak with his performance and not by words. At the end it's the jury that decides. The award is a nice retirement gift for Guru ji (Satpal)," Sushil said.

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