Ferreira backs Milkha Singh on Arjuna award

NEW DELHI, AUG. 19. A matriculation certificate after having achieving masters degree. That was how former billiards world champion Michael Ferreira described the Government's decision to confer Arjuna Award on the legendary quartermiler Milkha Singh.

``It is an insult to Milkha Singh, who has already been decorated with several national and international awards,'' said Ferreira supporting Milkha's decision not to accept the award. ``I can understand what he must have felt after his name was announced along with a host of others who had no achievements as compared to him,'' he said. Milkha Singh last week announced that he would not accept the Arjuna Award for lifetime contribution.

Ferreira had himself got embroiled in a controversy when he refused to accept Padma Shree in 1981. ``The then Government decided to honour me with Padma Shree after I won my third World title, which included two world amateurs and one Open title,'' recalled Ferreira.

``I was then young and a bit annoyed at the way I was treated even after winning three World titles,'' he said. ``Sunil (Gavaskar) was being named for Padma Bhushan, but in 1981 he had no world records to his name. He is a good friend of mine, but I did not like the way Government treated cricket in comparison to other sports.''

``Maybe, I went into the bad books then. But, inconveniently (for the Government) I won my fourth World title, in 1983, and during a meeting with the then Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, I was told the Government wanted to honour me with the Padma Bhushan,'' said Ferreira. ``I accepted it gladly. But today, when I think about my decision to reject the Padma Shree, I wonder whether I did the right thing.''

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