National sports awards selection process to be delayed to include Olympic medallists

More than 120 Indian athletes would be vying for medals at the Games amid strict health safety protocols because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The process of picking this year’s national sports awards winners is set to be postponed until after the Olympic Games to ensure that medal winners in Tokyo are duly considered by the selection panel, which is yet to be instituted. The awards are given away each year by the country’s president on August 29, the National Sports Day which is also the birth anniversary of hockey legend . The Olympics will run from July 23 to August 8. “We have already received nominations for this year’s National Sports Awards. The dates of nominations are closed as of now. But in our last meeting we have discussed about including Olympic medallist, if any, for consideration in this year’s awards,” a sports ministry source said.