Committee didnt ignore the names of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa: Sports Ministry

Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa weren't named in the second list of athletes

Following Jwala Gutta’s outburst over the exclusion of herself and Ashwini Ponnappa from the list of athletes for the Target Olympic Podium(TOP) scheme, the Sports Ministry on Friday said that the Identification Committee had considered the names of the doubles pair and they weren't ignored by them during the meeting that took place last month.

The 31-year-old left-handed shuttler had expressed her disappointment at being omitted from second list of athletes that were announced and felt that former All England Open winner and a member of the Committee, Pullela Gopichand had a grudge against her.

"The Identification Committee has not rejected their names. It is unfair to blame Shri Pullela Gopichand, a Member of the Identification Committee for the decision of the Committee taken in this case as all decisions of the Committee have been taken collectively. The process of inclusion of names under the TOP Scheme is not yet over. Also, the athletes who have not so far been included under the TOPS have also been receiving assistance from the Government of India under its normal scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations

"The names of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponappa were considered for inclusion in the TOP Scheme at the meeting of the Identification Committee held under the chairmanship of Anurag Thakur, MP on 21st April, 2015 in New Delhi," A Sports Ministry source told PTI.

"The Committee deliberated on their post-CWG 2014 performance. After discussions, the Committee decided to defer the decision on inclusion of their names and consider support for a combined training programme for doubles at a later stage,” the source added.

Six shuttlers- Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, RMV Gurusaidutt, Kidambi Srikanth, Parupalli Kashyap and HS Prannoy were named by the Committee.