Ritu Negi dropped from Himachal’s Rs 1 crore Asian Games kabaddi award list

Ritu Negi, an Arjuna Awardee, former captain of the Indian kabaddi team and a member of the squad that won gold at the Asian Games in Japan, was dropped at the last minute from the Himachal Pradesh government’s list of players eligible for a Rs 1 crore cash award. The omission has left the player and her family upset and has turned into a political row in the state.

Negi comes from the Shillai region of Sirmaur district and is married in Panipat, Haryana. That marriage is at the centre of the dispute. The BJP has accused the state government of excluding her for that reason alone.

Named a week ago, missing from the final list

According to The Tribune, Negi’s name was on a list of four Himachal players about a week earlier, alongside captain Pushpa Rana, Jyoti Thakur and Bhawna Thakur. Her name also appeared in a congratulatory post shared by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Facebook.

On 5 October, Sukhu announced prize money of Rs 1 crore each for three Himachal players in the Indian women’s kabaddi team, Pushpa Rana, Jyoti Thakur and Bhawna Thakur, as well as for Indian women’s cricket team player Renuka Thakur. The Tribune reported that a government press release announcing an increase in the kabaddi players’ cash award from Rs 33 lakh each to Rs 1 crore did not include Negi’s name.

Negi described the decision as deeply insulting. “Until a week ago, I was a daughter of Himachal and the CM shared a congratulatory message on Facebook, while former CM Jairam Thakur and Member of Parliament Anurag Thakur had called to congratulate me,” she told the media, as reported by PTI. “I simply cannot understand what changed so suddenly two days ago.”

She questioned why an athlete who has represented India at three consecutive Asian Games, winning two gold medals and one silver, was being treated this way. The Tribune reported that she is the only Indian woman kabaddi player to have played at three consecutive Asian Games.

“Why Himachal Pradesh is behaving in such a way at this stage of my career?” she asked.

Railways job, Himachal colours

Negi pointed out that although she is employed by Indian Railways, she has consistently represented Himachal, not Haryana, in domestic competitions. Speaking to The Tribune, she acknowledged that she would receive an award from the Haryana government under its sports policy, but said athletes have received awards from more than one state in the past.

Her father, Bhavan Singh Negi, speaking from Shillai on Friday, 9 October, asked whether a girl stops being a daughter of her home state simply because she is married in another state. “Does marriage change the fact that she is Himachal’s daughter?” he asked, according to The Tribune. He noted that Negi received a cash award from the Himachal government after winning gold at the 2023 Asian Games, even though she was already married in Haryana at that time.

BJP calls it an insult to Himachal’s pride

The issue was raised by Baldev Singh Tomar, former BJP MLA from Shillai and the party’s state spokesperson. He said the government had hurt the dignity of a daughter of Himachal and tarnished the state’s pride by leaving Negi’s name off the list.

Tomar said two players from Shillai were part of the Indian team at the Asian Games: Pushpa Rana, the current India captain, and Negi, who captained the gold medal-winning side at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou and was a key member of the squad again this time.

He condemned what he called the “highly inappropriate” decision to exclude her because she is married in Haryana, and said a daughter does not lose her status as a “daughter of the state” by marrying in another state. He urged the government to reconsider immediately and give the “daughter of Himachal” due respect.

Government watching Haryana, minister to check the file

Sources in the state government told PTI that it was closely monitoring the Haryana government’s stance. Since Haryana had not yet announced any cash award for Negi, Himachal might take a decision later, the officials said. They added that because she is employed by Indian Railways, employment does not factor into the matter.

Sports Minister Yadvinder Goma said he was unaware of the reason behind the change in the list. “I will see the file and check with the Chief Minister,” he told The Tribune.

Negi suspects foul play, The Tribune reported, and plans to meet Chief Minister Sukhu soon to take up the matter.