Alleging nepotism and gender-based discrimination in awarding the elite Dronacharya sports awards, a retired headmaster from Andhra Pradesh, Pothineni Janardhan Rao, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after the awards selection committee declined his daughter’s proposal thrice in a row.
Janardhan’s daughter, Padmaja Bala, is a coach employed at the Sports Authority of India, Vijayawada, and has been coaching both Kabaddi and Kho Kho players for more than three decades. Recently, she applied for the Lifetime Dronacharya award for her contribution as a coach for 33 years. However, it was declined.
Accusing the selection panel of gender-based discrimination and “gross injustice” to his daughter, the retired headmaster said that it was in conflict with the government’s slogan of ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padao’ and expressed shock that the panel could not identify a single woman eligible for the award. In the probable list of both the ‘regular’ and ‘lifetime’ Dronacharya awards, none of the women candidates were scrutinised. The probable candidates scrutinised for ‘Lifetime’ Dronacharya awards include: Dharmendra Tiwari (Archery), Purushottam Rai (Athletics), Shiv Singh (Boxing), Romesh Pathania (Hockey), K K Hooda (Kabaddi), Vijay Munishwar (Para Powerlifting), Naresh Kumar (Tennis) and OP Dahiya (Wrestling).
“Much to my dismay, it is quite surprising to see that not even a single woman was nominated out of eight announced. Here I would like to mention that on many occasions you insisted on the slogan of ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padao’. But in sports why the authorities have failed to give preference to any lady coach, with required credentials, is an enigma. I would like to mention here that the committee was totally biased and did not consider even a single women coach for any award, which I think will not augur well for the image of the government (sic),” Janardhan alleged in his letter.
Validating the contributions of his daughter Padmaja, Janardhan said, “I can proudly talk about my daughter Padmaja who has come across many hurdles, humiliation, and nepotism during her long career of 33 years of coaching in kabaddi. She is also a victim of sexual harassment, but was never scared of any difficulties or hurdles on her way.”
Padmaja, a former national Kabaddi player, has been coaching Kabaddi and Kho Kho players since 1987.
He added, “She is not only a good coach but personally she is spending lakhs of rupees in identifying, nurturing and training many rural girls especially from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities, thus infusing confidence and self-respect among the neglected communities.”
“Apart from coaching, my daughter has financially helped many tribal boys and girls to pursue their education in prestigious institutions like BITS Pilani and medicine. During the prevalent pandemic, she took care of her trainees belonging to poor families. I can proudly say that maybe she is the only woman coach in India who produced persistent results during her service for more than 33 years from gross root to International level,” Janardhan wrote.
Requesting a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into irregularities in the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India, Janardhan alleged that there has been rampant nepotism and favouritism in the Federation.
Besides the Prime Minister, Janardhan has also written to Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Kiren Rijiju, hoping that the government will recognise Padmaja’s contributions.
Along with Janardhan, another person, Abhinava Vinay Kumar, District Youth Council President, Warangal, also filed a similar grievance with the Sports Ministry, complaining against the selection panel’s decision not to induct Padmaja. Vinay Kumar alleged that besides gender discrimination, there was discrimination against coaches from the south. He alleged that the northern state of Haryana was given “extra favour”, as coaches from Haryana continue to bag awards every year.