Arjuna Awards ceremony postponed

The Arjuna Awards ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on August 29 has been postponed as President K R Narayanan is indisposed, an official release said on Saturday.

The awards ceremony is now likely to be held towards the end of September.

Besides the Arjuna Awards, the President was to have presented the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the Dronacharya Awards and the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy for exceptional performance in sports.

The Arjuna Awards this year have been mired in controversy after legendary athlete Milkha 'Flying Sikh' Singh rejected his award for lifetime achievement as beneath his dignity and an insult.

He also called into question the very criteria for selection for these awards. His outburst got support from several reputed athletes like Gurbachan Singh Randhawa and P T Usha.

Agencies

The Arjuna Awards Controversy: The complete coverage