NEW DELHI: Joining several other sportspersons, former Indian hockey team captain and two-time Olympian Pargat Singh and former national boxing coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu have decided to return their respective Padma Shri and Dronacharya Awards in support of agitating farmers.
Pargat was awarded the Padma Shri in 1998. As for Gurbax Singh, the Dronacharya Award is the highest national award in the field of coaching.
The former hockey player, who is now a Congress member, will join former athletes in returning their prestigious awards to the Centre, as a mark of protest against the three contentious agrarian laws and express solidarity with the farmers' agitation.
Singh, who led the Indian team at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics, is also a recipient of the Arjuna Award, which he received in 1989.
Sandhu said that he was pained to see farmers, especially women, sleeping on the roads to protest against the three contentious farm laws.
He said, “I am also the son of the farmers like the majority of sportspersons. I am pained to see my elders protesting on roads, braving the odd weather. The central government should immediately agree to the demands of the protesting farmers.”
Notably, Sandhu was instrumental in India’s first medal in boxing at the Olympics — when Vijender Singh won Bronze at the 2008 Beijing Games.
When asked about joining farmers in their protest in Delhi, he told Tribune India, “Though I want to sit with farmers in their protest, but, unfortunately, my health does not allow it. I am not able to walk due to a knee problem.”
Apart from Pargat and Sandhu, Arjuna awardees Sajjan Singh Cheema and Rajbir Kaur, Padma Shree awardee Kartar Singh, Olympic medallist Gurmail Singh and former cricket coach Rajinder Singh have also decided to return their awards to the Union Government.
The athletes have stated that they will proceed to Delhi on Saturday, December 5 and place their awards outside Rashtrapati Bhavan (the President's official residence).
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