New Delhi: Announcement of the National Sports Awards is likely to be pushed back after launch of a nominee re-evaluation process to pick “deserving” athletes and avoid controversy.

Traditionally, the awards are presented by the President on August 29 on the birth anniversary of hockey icon Dhyan Chand but it hasn’t been followed in the last few years due to scheduling delays and extesnion of cut-off dates due to major tournaments.

This year too it is likely to follow the recent trend although the process of nominations began earlier than usual and recommendations were made in December last year as the Sports ministry is re-assessing the names put forward by the awards selection committee.

“The list of Arjuna award recommendations is being re-evaluated right now. The value of these awards should not get diminished, that’s the goal,” a ministry source told PTI on Monday.

“It shouldn’t be the case that we have Arjuna awardees in every nook and corner but when you ask them about their accomplishments, there is nothing much to show.”

In the past, controversies leading to lawsuits have emerged once the ministry approved names, leaving question marks on the entire process, disreputing sanctity of the awards.

Hence instead of a selection committe an unambiguous points criteria should be adopted to prevent “unworthy nominations”.

“Not to forget the litigations and outrageous media statements that come out in some cases. It’s like the prize money, if your have won an Olympic medal, you shouldn’t have to fill a form to get your Rs 75 lakh prize money.

“The system just knows and transfers the money suitably. Similarly, an athlete who has achieved the requisite shouldn’t have to be evaluated again by a panel,” the source added.

Hockey star Hardik Singh is believed to be the only recommendation for Khel Ratna while teenage chess sensation Divya Deshmukh and ace decathlete Tejaswin Shankar wer aming 24 names for the Arjuna awards.

Five years after Yogasana was formally recognised as a sporting discipline, Aarti Pal has become the first exponent be recommended for the Arjuna award.

Sportspersons get Rs 25 lakh cash, a medallion and a citation for Khel Ratna, the country’s highest sporting honour, while Arjuna awardees get Rs 15 lakh.