Amit Panghal nominated for Khel Ratna but doping past may ruin his chances again

NEW DELHI: Can India’s biggest medal hope for Tokyo Olympics in boxing, Amit Panghal (52kg), be third time lucky to win a National Sports Award this year after being nominated for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna honour by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) on Monday? Seasoned boxer and 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and Jakarta Asian Games gold medallist Vikas Krishan (69kg), too, has been recommended for the Khel Ratna by the BFI.Vikas had won the Arjuna award in 2012.
Well, going by Amit’s credentials – the 24-year-old Rohtak boy is a reigning Asian Games and Asian Championships meet champion, a silver medallist at the Gold Coast CWG, gold winner at the Strandja memorial tournament in Bulgaria and, biggest of them all, the 2019 Russia World Championships silver medallist, a podium finish which earned him the quota place for next year’s Tokyo Games in the 52kg – the diminutive pugilist must definitely hold his first-ever national sport award trophy on August 29, 2020 when the awards ceremony will be conducted at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in all its glory. Amit’s cumulative awards points over a period of four years – for Khel Ratna and Arjuna awards, performances between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2019 would be taken into consideration – makes him a formidable candidate for awarding Khel Ratna, the country’s highest sporting honour.
It’s also important to mention here that the Indian Army – Amit’s employer – has already recommended the Subedar for this year’s Arjuna award. The Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) had nominated the 2019 ‘Vishisht Seva’ medal winner boxer for the Arjuna for his excellent performances since the beginning of 2018.
However, for the World No. 1 boxer in the 52kg category, his doping past might again come to haunt him this time as well. Amit was recommended twice for the Arjuna in the past (2018, 2019), but he was not considered for the award due to a failed dope test in 2012, for which he served a one-year ban and remained out of action between 2012 to 2014. According to the sports ministry’s rules for awards, any penalization on account of doping offence renders an athlete ineligible for the national sports awards.
Amit, who initially competed in the 49kg category before shifting to a higher weight category of 52kg, had tested positive for an anabolic steroid in 2012 and was consequently banned for two years by the National Anti-Doping Agency (Nada). The pugilist, who was competing in the youth category during those times, later appealed against the ban arguing he committed the offence ‘inadvertently’ without any ill intention. His appeal led to his ban being reduced to one year on account of him being a first-time offender.
“It’s an honour to be recommended for the award. It gives you motivation to do well in the upcoming tournaments. Your confidence-level reaches a new high while preparing for competitions to bring medal glory to the nation. I believe I have sufficient points for the Khel Ratna and I am a deserving candidate for the award. At the same time, I am equally thankful to the Army for showing faith in me and nominating me for the Arjuna. Army has played a significant role in shaping my career. If given a choice between the two awards, I would like to hold the Khel Ratna in my hands,” Amit told TOI.
“It’s a dream to for any athlete to represent his/her nation at the Olympics. I am fortunate to have achieved the quota place for Tokyo and I am eagerly looking forward to bringing home the gold. I am putting in hard yards to prepare for the Olympics. However, I am not the one running after any award. My job is to prepare hard for tournaments and do well in them to win as many medals possible for the country. I am an athlete first. Whatever the awards committee will decide, I will accept their decision. If they believe that I am a deserving candidate, I will definitely get the award. My focus is to win an Olympic gold for India in Tokyo,” he added.
However, there’s one strange development. Amit, in his undertaking by a sportsperson nominated for the award to the SSCB, has declared that: “I have never been penalized nor have any enquiry pending/ongoing against me for use of drugs/substances banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) based on a sample collected by the National Anti-Doping Agency (Nada) or any other agency authorized by the Wada and tested by National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) or any other Wada-accredited laboratory. I have never been penalized for any unfair practice like age fraud etc.”
The BFI, meanwhile, has recommended Manish Kaushik, Lovlina Borgohain and Simranjit Kaur for the Arjuna award. For the Dronacharya award, seasoned coaches Chhote Lal Yadav and Mohammad Ali Qamar have been recommended for the honour. For Dhyanchand (lifetime achievement award) category, N Usha has been nominated while no one was considered eligible for the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar.
It’s important to mention here that Chhote Lal’s name was recommended for the Dronacharya last year as well, but the coach missed out on the award owing to the conflict of interest on part of his ward, six-time world champion M C Mary Kom. Mary Kom was one of the selection committee members for the Khel Ratna and Arjuna award last year despite being an active athlete herself. With the boxing legend on the committee, it was considered by many as a direct conflict of interest when her long-time personal coach, Chhote Lal’s application landed for the Dronacharya. It had been later learnt that the London Olympics bronze medallist had recused herself when coach Chhote Lal and other names of boxers came up for deliberation during the committee’s meeting.