New Delhi / Hyderabad: After much ado, ace shuttler Saina Nehwal has been recommended by the sports ministry for the Padma Bhushan. Saina had said that the BAI had recommended her name last August, but that the sports ministry rejected her application.

On Sunday, BAI president Akhilesh Das Gupta had also claimed that the federation had sent Saina’s nomination on time and had received an acknowledgment for the same.

But sports minister Sarbananda Sonowal insisted that the letter of nomination was only received on Saturday. He added that the ministry had not received any letter from the BAI regarding Saina’s nomination in 2013 as well.

“It is also clarified that the ministry had not received any nomination in respect of Ms Nehwal last year either. So the question of the department of sports intimating her that her nomination was not recommended to the ministry of home affairs in 2013, as there has to be a gap of five years between two Padma awards, does not arise,” the statement added.

“On May 1, 2014, the home ministry invited nominations for the Padma awards. The last date for forwarding nominations was September 15, 2014. The ministry has since received the her nomination on January 3. ”

The badminton star also clarified that she had never demanded the award, but only wanted to know why her name was not considered. As per norms, there has to be a gap of at least five years between two Padma awards to the same person. Sushil, who was awarded the Padma Shri in 2011, would not have been eligible for the Padma Bhushan before 2016.

But the home ministry decided to recommend him as a special case. Clearing its stand on Sushil’s recommendation, the ministry said, “Sushil Kumar’s recommendation was made after taking into consideration his many achievements.”