Amit Kumar Dahiya, Bajrang recommended for Arjuna award
Grapplers Babita Kumari, Amit Kumar Dahiya and Bajrang have been recommended by the Wrestling Federation of India for this year’s Arjuna award.
“We have recommended the names of Babita Kumari, Amit Kumar and Bajrang for this year’s Arjuna award,” Assistant secretary of WFI, Vinod Tomar told PTI.
One of the famous Phogat sisters, 25-year-old Babita, fights in the women’s freestyle wrestling 55kg category and has done pretty well in the last one year.
She won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July last year but unfortunately lost out on a third-place finish in a well-fought bronze medal play-off bout in the Incheon Asian Games in September last year.
In the recently-concluded Senior Asian Wrestling championship, Babita did well, although she failed to make it to the podium after losing the bronze medal by a whisker.
Rising wrestler Amit, 21, first came to prominence when he made the Indian squad for the 2012 London Olympics, becoming the youngest wrestler ever to represent the country at the Olympic Games.
In 2013, he bagged the silver medal at World Wrestling Championships, while last year, he won the yellow metal in the Commonwealth Games in Men’s 57kg Freestyle division.
Another talented 21-year-old wrestler, Bajrang competes in men’s 61kg Freestyle category.
After the revision of the divisions last year, Bajrang had claimed a silver medal at Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
A year before, he had won a bronze each at the 2013 Asian Wrestling Championships and 2013 World Wrestling Championships in the 60kg category.
AIFF recommends Subrata Paul’s name for Arjuna
Two retired national team players Climax Lawrence and Mahesh Gawli and two current stars Subrata Paul and Oinam Bembem Devi have been recommended by the All India Football Federation for the prestigious Arjuna Awards.
We have given the names of Climax, Mahesh Gawli, Subrata and Bembem Devi,” said All India Football Federation (AIFF) secretary Kushal Das.
The 36-year-old Lawrence played as a midfielder and also led the country during a decade-long career that started in 2002.
Lawrence played for Dempo in the national league and is currently representing Mumbai FC in the I-League.
Gawli, a stopper, once held the distinction of being the highest paid Indian footballer in the league. He began his international career in 1999 and played a key role till he called it quits in 2011.
His club career began at FC Kochin in the 1998-99 season and has since played for big clubs like Churchill Brothers, East Bengal, Mahindra United and Dempo.
Playing international football since 2007, 28-year-old Paul is currently leading the national team, his elevation to top post came after Stephen Constantine’s appointment as coach. He is also India’s number one goalkeeper and has had a stint at Danish club FC Vestsjælland.
The 35-year-old Bembem Devi plays for the Indian women team and has been a regular with her state team, Manipur.
