The leading weightlifter of India Renubala Chanu today decided to return her Commonwealth Games gold medal in protest against how she was overlooked for the prestigious sports awards of the country, Arjuna Award 2011.

THE TOP women weightlifter of the country Renubala Chanu today decided to return Commonwealth Games gold medal to the Sports Minister in the protest to against the way she was overlooked for the prestigious sports awards of the country, Arjuna Award. She won gold in the 58kg category in the Commonwealth Games 2010, held in New Delhi last year.

Renubala Chanu said that she was hurt for not being named for the Arjuna Awards after performing at the top level for the country from more than last one decade, and winning medals at the international level. She also said she deserves more than K Ravi Kumar, who was nominated for the Arjuna Award. Ravi Kumar had also won gold in the men's 69kg category in weightlifting in the Commonwealth Games 2010.

The 24-year-old weightlifter Renubala Chanu, who belongs to Manipur, had also won gold medal in the 2006 Commonwealth Games that was held in Melbourne, and a bronze medal in the Asian Championships.

Earlier, ace shooter Gagan Narang, who won four gold medals in the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi last year, was conferred with the country's highest sporting honour the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.

Indian fast bowler Zaheer Khan, Tennis star Somdev Devvarman, Badminton player Jwala Gutta, Footballer Sunil Chhetri, Wrestler Ravindra Singh, hockey player Rajpal Singh, and shooter Tejaswini Sawant were also nominated for the Arjuna Award 2011.

In Archery, Rahul Bannerjee, in the Athletics field, Preeja Sreedharan and Vijas Gowda, Gymnast Ashish Kumar, Rakesh Kumar in, Tejaswini Bai in Kabaddi, in Volley ball Sanjay Kumar, in Boxing Suronjoy, in Swimming Virdhaval Khade and Wushu Sandhya Rani Devi and in disabled category Prashant Karmakar was nominated for the Arjuna Awards 2011.