Arjuna Award nomination row: Sports Ministry says it’s BCCI’s fault, quotes dispatch details

The Union Sports Ministry on Friday reasserted its claims of having intimated the Board of Control for Cricket in India regarding recommendations for various sports awards, says a report in The Hindu.

In a statement, the ministry said, “In continuation of earlier facts disclosed, the Ministry would like to confirm that the letters to all the Sports Federations were dispatched to all these organisations/entities including BCCI on 27th Jan, 2012 as recorded by Ministry's dispatch register for Postal dak.”

Meanwhile another report in The Hindu says that Gautam Gambhir does not consider a contest against Pakistan as something special. “Pakistan is no different for me from any other team. Playing for India is motivating,” said the India batsman here on Friday.
Braving scorching heat, Gambhir turned out for Oil and Natural Gas Corporation in the Lala Raghubir hot weather cricket tournament and conceded he enjoyed the chance of playing for his employers. “I get salary from them for playing cricket,” he added.

Gambhir also observed that there was no “junior or senior” in the Indian team. “Each player shares the responsibility and each player matures with experience.”

He welcomed the “break” from cricket and hoped it would help the players report fresh for the cricket assignments at home in the coming winter.

“We will need to perform well in all departments of the game to stay on top,” he said.