“If they are planning to remove him and bring in someone else, we will protest that,” he added.

Prabhjot nominated

Prabhjot Singh is the only hockey player to be recommended for the Arjuna Awards by the Indian Olympic Association’s ad-hoc panel this year. “Prabhjot was the only one who had approached us before May 30 which was the Sports Ministry’s deadline for nominating names,” said Khan.

“The Ministry had sent forms in April but we were not in the control of hockey at that time so those forms must have gone to the previous IHF,” he said. Aslam said even though no other player approached the administration to be nominated for the award, the panel could have sat and proposed some names but it was too late now.