It’s been two years when the Haryana government came up with its sports policy of recruiting outstanding sportspersons in government jobs as per their achievements in the international arena under the Haryana Outstanding Sportspersons (recruitment and conditions of service) rules-2018, the Haryana’s top sportspersons, naming few wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, boxers Amit Panghal and Manoj Kumar, athletes Neeraj Chopra, Manjit Chahal and Seema Antil Punia, para-athletes Amit Saroha and Ekta Byan, who all had won gold medals in the Asian Games or Commonwealth Games, have been waiting for their appointments in the state government jobs.

As per the sports policy, notified on September 5, 2018, the continental games gold medalists will be recruited directly to Group A (Class-I officers) and the Asian Games silver medalists/Commonwealth Games gold medalists will get Group A jobs other then Haryana Civil Services or Haryana Police Services.

Surprisingly, the government has given jobs to over 30 sportspersons, who won silver (team events) and bronze (team and individual events) medals in the Asian and Commonwealth Games, in the Group B and C category jobs, last year. The appointments were made as per their entitlement in the sports policy. But it’s been almost two years since the gold medalists are still waiting for their appointment.

“What the government wants for us is that we shouldn’t have won gold in the Asian Games? When the bronze medalists in the same games have got the jobs, what’s the crime the gold medal winners have done. The Olympic participants have already been offered Group B jobs, thankfully no Olympic medalist is in line for a job, otherwise he or she would have also not got it in the current scenario,” says Manjit Chahal, who won gold in the 800m race in the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games. “Anyone can evaluate my sporting credentials and see where I stand in the sports policy. I have got two Asian and Commonwealth Games medals, including gold in each, and have won three medals in the world Championship. I should get my due as per the policy,” says Bajrang Punia, who has qualified for the Tokyo Olympics and is considered as a strong medal hope. “I am ready to work in Haryana, provided I get a job as per my sporting credentials,” adds Punia, who was conferred with the Arjuna award in 2015 and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratan in 2019.

As per the Haryana’s sports policy in question, from Olympic medal and participation till Asian/Commonwealth championship medal winners, there are jobs in HCS and HPS, Group A, Group B and Group C, respectively. In November-December 2018, the government has invited applications from the international medal winners seeking jobs under the sports policy.

“After the Asian Games gold medal, I got a couple of job offers from central departments, including Indian Railways, but I didn’t accept any, as the Haryana government under its sports policy entitled all the gold medal winners to a job of Class-I officer. Now it’s more than one-and-half years since I applied for the job, but I am still jobless,” adds Chahal, who is eyeing to compete in the Tokyo Games. “If not HCS, the government should give jobs to the gold medal winners of the Asian or Commonwealth Games in Group A in any of the state departments,” says Olympian boxer Manoj Kumar, who won gold in the 2010 CWG and bronze in 2018 CWG, and has also submitted application for a job under the recruitment of outstanding sportspersons in the new sports policy.

On July 30, 2020, the Haryana government appointed 2014 kabaddi Asian Games gold medalist Kavita Devi and triple Commonwealth Games medalist and world championship bronze medalist wrestler Babita Phogat as a Deputy Director (Group A job) in the state sports department. Kavita has approached the High Court to direct the government to give her a job of Class-I officer as per the sports policy.

“The government wants that each and every sportsperson, who has won gold medals in the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, should approach the court to get their due. The government is forcing us to take a legal route,” says Para Asian Games gold medalist Amit Saroha.

Earlier, during the tenure of the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led government (2009-14 tenure), the 2010 Asian Games gold medal winners or with a combination of silver/bronze medal in Asian Games and any medal in Commonwealth Games, were appointed Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in the state police force, while the players, who won gold medal in the 2010 Commonwealth Games or silver/bronze medal in the 2010 Asian Games were appointed inspector and silver and bronze medal winners in 2010 CWG were appointed sub-inspector.

In September 2018, the incumbent Manohar Lal Khattar-led government came up with a new sports policy to streamline the recruitment of outstanding sportspersons.

“Apart from four successive Commonwealth Games (2006 to 2018) medals, I won gold in the 2014 Asian Games. But I didn’t get my due during the Hooda government and now the Khattar government too are ignoring my achievements,” says Seema Antil Punia, who is currently training in Russia for the Tokyo quadrennial Games.

When contacted, director, sports and youth affairs department, Haryana, SS Phulia said, “After verifying the applications of the outstanding sportspersons, as per the sports policy, the sports department forwards it to the Chief Secretary (CS) Office to take further decision regarding their appointment. So, all the applications of the sportspersons you are talking about have been forwarded to the CS office.” “Recently we have got directions from the CS to appoint Kavita and Babita as deputy directors (Group A posts), so the department issued them the appointment letters,” adds Phulia.

It has been learnt that in the month of June, the CS office has written to the heads of 13 departments to give them the number of vacancies in their respective departments for the direct appointment of outstanding sportspersons in Group A jobs. But till date no appointment in Group A has been made, except for the players, who have taken the legal route.

When contacted, Haryana Chief Secretary Keshni Anand Arora said, “Because of Eid, today I haven’t gone to the office, so right now I can’t comment anything on this topic.”