These sports stars are miffed their country won't acknowledge their achievements
India’s top sports stars have lashed out at the government for not rewarding them in what is a further signal of India’s continued negligence and little investment to excel in sports.
Iconic billiards player Pankaj Advani, often referred to as the golden boy, isn’t pleased with not getting awarded the highest civilian honour, the Padma Bhushan, for the second time in a row.
When sports minister Vijay Goel offered his best wishes to Advani for winning the National Billiards Championship of 2017, the 16-time world title winner used the opportunity to let the world know about this.
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Advani was joined by badminton doubles specialist Jwala Gutta, who also rhetorically asked the government how many medals she need to win in order to win the Padma Bhushan.
"I have been playing for this country for more than 15 years now..and have won so many prestigious tournaments. […] Aren't my credentials good enough?" she asked in a long post.
One of the major points of discontent among athletes in India is its obsession around cricket and neglect of other sports.
Despite being home of over 1.3 billion people, India won only two medals in the Rio Olympics last year, finishing at the bottom (by points). Though India's economy is growing, the government is spending more on education and less on sports.
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