According to reliable sources, the Selection Committee for the Arjuna and Dronacharya awards for the 2008-2009 has recommended, inter alia, three hockey personalities for the conferment of awards
Shahbad’s super duo Surinder Kaur, and her mentor coach Baldev Singh are in the proposed names for for Arjuna and Dronacharya awards.
Orissa’s Ignace Tirkey, whose name has been missing from list for long, has also been rectified, gets Arjua as hockey reaps a rich harvest of three awards this year.
The official confirmation is expected once the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports gives its approval.
Though the Awards selection committee is very big, MK Kaushik was in the Dronacharya section and Jagbir Singh for the Arjuna section.
It is after a long time that three hockey personalities have been selected for the Government of India’s sporting excellence award.
Surinder led India to Gold at the inagural Champions Challenge Cup which MM Kaushik trained, and this team had six girls trained by Baldev Singh.
Baldev, a Depty Director of Sports with Haryana Government, was also formerly with Men’s team when India won the Asia Cup in 2003 under Rajinder Singh Sr.
Surinder Kaur rose from a humble background — her father a farmer, which is almost a daily labour variety — to become a top notch women hockey player.
She was the second top scorer of the last World Cup in Madrid.
Ignace, one of the best midfielders India have ever produced, excelled in many tournaments, led India at the COmmonwealth Games and other major tournaments. He too hails from a humble background, orissa’s famed tribal belt.
Baldev produced almost 20 international women hockey players from a nondescript village called Shahbad, and in recognition of his services, Government of Haryana extened his retirement to three years.
stick2hockey.com wishes all the three deserving winners