Cueist Kothari requests minister to reconsider Arjuna nomination

Saying that he was "deeply disappointed and stunned" at the authorities rejecting his nomination for the Arjuna Award, ace cueist Sourav Kothari on Friday requested union Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to reconsider his case.

"A couple of days back when I came to know that my nomination sent by the Billiards and Snooker Federation of India for the Arjuna Award for 2015 was turned down at the last moment, I was deeply disappointed and stunned to say the least," Kothari said in a statement.

Kothari won the Asian Billiards Title before captaining the Indian team to the silver medal at the IBSF World Team Billiards Championship in Scotland. He went on to claim an individual bronze at the IBSF World Billiards Championship in England in 2014.

Earlier in the same year, Kothari had bagged the national billiards title.

Kothari appealed to Sonowal to look into the issue.

"Respected Sports Minister sir, you are the custodian of the growth of sports in our country and it is my humble plea to you to once again consider my nomination.

"The denial will not only leave me crestfallen but will surely affect the aspirations of thousands of talented young sportspersons who have dedicated their lives in honing their talents in this noble sport," he said.