Former badminton ace Prakash Padukone, who was chairman of the Arjuna Awards committee last year, expressed displeasure at not being informed by the government about the formation of a new panel for this year's awards.

"The least the government could have done was to send me a copy of the notification on appointing a new committee this year," Padukone said in Bangalore on Thursday.

What pained the 1980 All-England badminton champion was that he came to know about the announcement only through newspapers.

Padukone said when he was appointed chairman he was not told about the committee's tenure, and, as no communication on the subject was received, he was actually mentally preparing for a second term.

He added it is not that he was keen on the post. Last year too, he was initially unwilling to accept the post but was successfully persuaded by the then Union Sports Minister Uma Bharti, he said.

Padukone said he failed to understand why the government did not even extend the "basic courtesy" of informing him.

"Only that hurts; otherwise no regrets," he said.

The committee under him last year, he believes, stuck to the guidelines and was able to bring "some respectability" to the awards.

The government recently appointed a new committee under the chairmanship of former India football captain P K Banerjee.

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