Contrasting cases of national recognition for Kerala's two sporting heroes
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Two Kerala sporting heroes have been honoured with Padma awards on the eve of the Republic Day. Hockey great P R Sreejesh was conferred with the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian honour, while football legend I M Vijayan has been approved for the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour.
For Sreejesh, 36, the latest recognition is timely, considering he was the star of the Indian side that secured consecutive Olympic bronze medals, the latest in August 2024 in Paris.
Sreejesh, a native of Ernakulam, received the Padma Shri in 2017, a year after clinching his second Asian Champions Trophy title. In 2021, he was awarded the nation's highest sporting honour, Khel Ratna, a year after helping India end a 28-year wait for an Olympic medal in hockey with the bronze in Tokyo.
For Sreejesh, national recognition always came right after his sporting successes. Then there is the case of Vijayan, one of the greatest footballers India has ever produced.
Vijayan had a storied career as a national football star in the 1990s. Besides helping India clinch three SAFF Championships and gold in a South Asian Games, Vijayan led a glorious club career starting with the Kerala Police before starring for Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and FC Kochin among other leading club sides in the country.
It wasn't Vijayan's fault that Indian football never achieved global fame like hockey or cricket. Yet Vijayan never got his due on time. He received the Arjuna Award in 2003 when his long playing days were almost over. In 2010, the All India Football Federation nominated Vijayan for the Padma Shri, but he did not get it. Now, at 55, Vijayan has been found worthy of a Padma Award.