Former India cricket captain Kapil Dev will head the Arjuna Awards selection committee to select this year's outstanding sportspersons while former hockey skipper Ajitpal Singh is likely to be in charge of selecting the Dronacharya awardees.
The Sports Ministry has confirmed that Wimbledon doubles champion Sania Mirza has been recommended for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna but made it clear that the final decision rests with only the Awards Committee.
Sports Ministry officials clarified that they are yet to receive any form of communication on Indian men's hockey team coach Paul van Ass, who claims to have been sacked by Hockey India.
Bach, IOC President, has been invited to visit India for a meeting with Prime Minister Modi.
While the 54-year-old Van Ass, who was at the helm of affairs of the Dutch team from 2010 to 2014, will take charge of the men's team, New Zealand's Anthony Thornton, 47, will replace Neil Hawgood as coach of the women's senior team.
The Bowling Federation of India (BFI) on Saturday joined Hockey India in demanding a special General Body Meeting of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to take up a No Confidence Motion against incumbent president Narayanswami Ramachandran.
There has been a controversy over this asana, with Muslim groups saying their faith does not allow such a practice.
The Sports Authority of India (SAI) has recommended slashing the country's proposed Asian Games delegation by a third and sending only medal hopefuls to South Korea's Incheon later this month.
Just days after International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief Thomas Bach's visit to the country, the factional feud within Indian Olympic Association (IOA) surfaced on Thursday with a National Sports Federation head moving a No Confidence motion against incumbent president Narayanswami Ramachandran.
The Jharkhand Olympic Association joined Hockey India and the Bowling Federation of India in demanding a No Confidence Motion against incumbent IOA president N Ramachandran by calling a Special General Body Meeting.
Stating that India has not made much progress since the Beijing Olympics, Ajit Sharan, Secretary - Sports, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS), said that India needs to become a sporting nation if it has do well in big event.
Feeling 'insulted' after his name was not added to this year's list of Arjuna awardees, boxer Manoj Kumar on Wednesday said he would sue the Sports Ministry for the 'injustice' meted out to him.
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