After an arduous three-week process involving persistent follow-ups at various levels, sports such as carrom, powerlifting, billiards and snooker, golf, bodybuilding, yachting, and equestrian have been reinstated as eligible for the prestigious Shiv Chhatrapati Award.
The initial exclusion of these sports from the award's list of 38 games, as per the Maharashtra government's December 29 order, caused distress among the respective state associations. However, a breakthrough was achieved on Tuesday during a constructive meeting at Mantralaya, where Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Industries Minister Uday Samant, and Sports Minister Sanjay Bansode were present.
As a result of this meeting, the earlier decision was revoked, and the sports were reinstated for the Shiv Chhatrapati Award. Furthermore, the associations were granted an extension of five days to submit their nominations for the award, with the new deadline set for January 28.
Officials from the Maharashtra Carrom Association, The Billiards and Snooker Association of Maharashtra, and Maharashtra State Powerlifting Association, who attended the meeting, expressed gratitude to Minister Uday Samant for his initiative in convincing Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
Arun Kedar, secretary of the Maharashtra Carrom Association, emphasized the significance of the decision, stating that it was a substantial relief and boost for all players. Kedar highlighted Minister Samant's active involvement in carrom tournaments, especially in Ratnagiri, and his efforts to underscore the importance of including carrom and other sports in the list of awards.
Devendra Joshi, secretary of The Billiards and Snooker Association of Maharashtra, who received the Shiv Chhatrapati Award in 1996 and the Arjuna Award in 2002, commended Ajit Pawar for his positive response during the meeting. Joshi emphasized the long-standing participation of sportspeople in these activities and the need to continue encouraging them.
Sanjay Sardesai, secretary of the Maharashtra State Powerlifting Association and recipient of the Shiv Chhatrapati Award in 2010, expressed his joy over the decision. He credited Minister Samant for convincing Deputy CM Ajit Pawar to support these sports, noting that 52 powerlifters had been recipients of the Shiv Chhatrapati awards.
