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Sports ministry backs PV Sindhu for Padma Bhushan

Sindhu, the Rio Olympic silver-medallist, has been in top form recently, winning silver at the 2017 World Championships.

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It came a bit late but new sports minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore has moved swiftly to recommend top Indian shuttler PV Sindhu for India's third highest civilian award, Padma Bhushan.

The nomination comes a few days after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) once again sent former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's name for this prestigious award. The cricketer's name had been recommended twice in the past and had been rejected both times.

Sindhu, the Rio Olympic silver-medallist, has been in top form recently, winning silver at the 2017 World Championships.

Sindhu took sweet revenge of her World Championships final defeat to Nozomi Okuhara by becoming the first Indian to win the Korea Superseries title recently by beating the Japanese in the final.

The current world No. 2 has also won the Indian Superseries and China Superseries Premier.

A three-time Macau Open champion, Sindhu also won the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold in Lucknow this year. In 2014, Sindhu won bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games, Incheon Asian Games, Uber Cup and Asia Championship.

Despite her nomination by the ministry, Sindhu will have to overcome one final hurdle to get this prestigious award. According to rules, a player has to complete the "mandatory five-year gap between the two Padma awards" while applying for Padma Bhushan. Sindhu received Padma Shri in 2015.

"Very happy that my name has been recommended for Padma Bhushan. I would like to thank the government and the sports ministry," Sindhu was quoted as saying on Monday.

Sindhu's coach and former All-England champion P Gopichand is part of the committee which will have the final say in deciding awards. Sindhu, who got the Arjuna Award in 2013, would be the third shuttler, if chosen, after Saina Nehwal and Gopichand to be conferred the Padma Bhushan.

Apart from Dhoni, two-time Olympic medallist wrestler Sushil Kumar has also thrown his hat for the fourth time in the ring. The home ministry-appointed selection committee doesn't pick more than one sportsman for Padma Bhushan. The number of awardees, though, vary for Padma Shri.

DNA has reported on how the sports ministry top officials are not happy with Dhoni's name being sent again by the BCCI despite ongoing case in the Supreme Court.

Asked if Sindhu's choice has anything to do with keeping Dhoni out of the race, the ministry source refused to link the two issues.

"This nomination has come from the sports minister and only he can deliberate on this issue. Sindhu is deserving and has been in top form. She has been an inspiration for all the girls around India and deserves this award more than anyone," said the source.

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