Mizoram Football Association (MFA) questioned the criteria for Arjuna Award recipients after their state?s star footballer Jeje Lalpekhlua was overlooked for the third time after being nominated for the award. MFA wrote to Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju to ask for the reasons for Jeje?s Arjuna Award snub while listing out his achievements for comparison with other recipients of the award.
Jeje has been nominated by All India Football Federation (AIFF) for the Arjuna Award on three separate occasions, alongside Bembem Devi, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Sandesh Jhingan, and each time he has lost out to the other nominee. While acknowledging the achievements of the other footballers, MFA asked for detailed criteria for the recipients in its letter, a copy of which has been accessed by News18.com.
In the letter, MFA states that Jeje lost to Bembem in 2017 and did not question that decision. However, stating that Jeje lost to lesser-capped players Gurpreet and Jhingan in 2019 and 2020, respectively, the association insisted ?upon the disclosure of the detailed criteria for the Arjuna Award, as well as the explanation to the question ?Why has Jeje Lalpekhlua been been overlooked after three separate nominations?'?
Jeje has earned 56 caps for the Indian national team, scoring 23 goals. He is second only to Sunil Chhetri in the list of highest goalscorers for India among active footballers and sixth overall. Gupreet and Jhingan, on the other hand, have earned 38 and 36 caps, respectively.
Jeje?s personal achievements include FPAI Best Young Player Award (2010-11), I-League Top Indian Goalscorer (2010-11), AIFF Emerging Player of the Year (2013), Indian Super League Top Indian Goalscorer (2014), ISL Emerging Player of the League (2015), Top Indian Goalscorer in SAFF Championship 2015 (Tied with Sunil Chhetri), Federation Cup Top Goalscorer (2015-16), Federation Cup Best Player (2015-16), FPAI Indian Player of the Year (2015-16) and AIFF Player of the Year (2016).
Among the honours he has earned his club and country are I-League title (2014-15), Federation Cup title (2015-16), ISL (2015, 2017-18), SAFF Championships (2009, 2011, 2015) and Intercontinental Cup (2018).
?Such has been the achievements of Jeje Lalpekhlua in his career, and the MFA strongly believes his endeavours for the nation more than merits the Arjuna Award, that he has been nominated three separate times only to be overlooked on each occasion is a question the MFA humbly demands an answer to,? MFA said in the letter.
Recently, Jeje also announced his exit from Chennaiyin FC after six years of association and Times of India then reported that four clubs ? Kerala Blasters, Jamshedpur FC, Hyderabad FC and East Bengal ? have sent him offers to join.
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