Paralympian Yogesh Khatuniya alleges favouritism in the Khel Ratna process

Days after shooter Manu Bhaker and para-archer Harvinder Singh expressed their disappointments over the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award nominations, double Paralympic medallist Yogesh Khatuniya has also raised questions on the process and criteria set for the prestigious award.

"I don't know what criteria they have set," Khatuniya told PTI. "I even filled the form. It's not like I didn't fill the form. I did everything, but even after getting the highest aggregate marks, I was not nominated this time as well."

Khatuniya, who had won a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics backed it up with a medal of the same colour at the Paris Games earlier this year.

"Last time, I remember well, I did not even fill the form for the Arjuna Award, yet I was nominated," Khatuniya recalled.

He said that there was a policy that if someone played in the Paralympics or Olympics and won a medal, they would be directly considered, and questioned why it couldn't be done this time.

Besides his two Paralympic silver medals, Khatuniya mentioned that he had also won two silver and a bronze at the World Para Athletics Championships and a silver at the Asian Para Games.

He pointed out that if his 245 points were set aside, he had still won six medals. Even after all that, he questioned what guarantee there was that he would get it next year.