New Delhi: Sports legend and three times Olympic Champion Major Dhyan Chand’s Olympian son Ashok Kumar has said that political considerations in selection of nominees for the Bharat Ratna has evaded his father and he has missed being decorated with the country’s highest civilian award. Ashok Kumar said so while attending an event Thursday in Betul, a district in southern Madhya Pradesh. Incidentally August 29 is celebrated as National Sports Day and is the birthday of Dhyan Chand.
“Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had signed on the files and subsequently we were informed by the then Sports Minister that Dada (Dhyan Chand) would be conferred with Bharat Ratna. However, the decision was later deferred. By doing so, the government did not humiliate us … it humiliated a national icon.”
In his hey days, a brilliant forward himself, Ashok Kumar pointed out that awards are given to those who deserve. “Awards are not sought, not desired or begged. Awards are conferred by the government to those who deserve them,” asserted Kumar. “It is now for the government to decide and judge, whether they feel that Dhyan Chand deserves a Bharat Ratna.”
Ashok Kumar, regarded as world’s best dribbler in hockey, post Independence, said that the country should not forget Dhyan Chand’s ultra-nationalistic character.
“Despite the British rule, he (Dhyan Chand) had the courage to take a Tricolour flag in his suitcase to Berlin Oympics in 1936,” informed Kumar. “When India beat Germany in the finals, in front of Hitler, Dada unfurled the Tricolour flag (consisting of a charkha instead of Chakra, and three stripes) at the Olympic games village in Berlin.
“He was the first Indian to unfurl the Tricolour abroad. Fortunately enough, the date was August 15, when India won the gold medal. Besides my father, my uncle Roop Singh, a member of the team was witness to this historic event,” added Kumar.
Ashok Kumar, 69, scored one of the two goals against Pakistan to help India win the World Cup in 1975. It was the last time, the Indian team won the World Championships.
IANS