In Dhoni’s absence, all eyes on Jagdish

Getting inside, however, isn’t easy for everyone. And, as the President of India bestows a chosen few with the country’s highest sporting honours — the Khel Ratna, Arjuna and Dronacharya awards — every August 29, most of the spectators don’t find it breathtaking, they just let out a sigh.

In the Ashoka Hall, with huge chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and paintings adorning the walls, the absence of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Arjun Atwal took away some of the sheen from the evening. Boxing coach Jagdish Singh, basking in the reflected glory of his Bhiwani proteges, was easily the most sought-after man — for both right and wrong reasons.

Centre of attention

The 46-year-old freelance coach, who has been credited for single-handedly putting Bhiwani on the world boxing map, was one of the three who received the Dronacharya award. But overshadowing his achievement were recent reports that his wards — Vijender and Akhil Kumar — had fallen away from him. “Akhil Kumar and Vijender have been influenced by someone,” he said when asked about the reports, admitting that he hadn’t spoken to them for long.

And what about the FIR against him for allegedly conspiring to kill a young boxer? “It was a suicide,” replied Jagdish, “it’s been proved. You know this is what I mean when I say politics. Issues like this coming up now, you can join the dots. They’re all efforts to malign me.”

Mercifully, that was closest the awards came to controversy this year. Of late, the allegations of bias and favouritism while selecting the players had become a norm but there were no such charges made. Thanks to the T20 World Cup last year, the committee unanimously picking Dhoni for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, notwithstanding its chairman Milkha Singh’s dislike for cricket. With the Indian one-day captain on tour in Sri Lanka, his father Paan Singh Dhoni collected the award on his behalf.

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