Lucknow, Aug 12 (IANS): The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court Monday directed the union sports ministry not to deviate from the rules in giving away sports awards.

The court, while hearing and disposing of a writ petition filed by Indian Police Service officer Amitabh Thakur and social activist Nutan Thakur, said the sports ministry was bound by rules laid down with regard to sports awards.

The writ petition challenged the recommendation by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of Virat Kohli for the Arjuna Award and Sunil Gavaskar for the Dhyan Chand Award.

A bench of Justice Devi Prasad Singh and Justice Ashok Pal Singh disposed of the petition, saying that the ministry was bound by its own rules for sports awards and cannot violate them.

Petitioners' counsel Asok Pande had argued that only a National Sports Federation (NSF) can make recommendations for the national sports awards.

BCCI is not one of the 51 NSFs recognised by the ministry of sports and youth affairs, but a completely unrecognised private body which cannot make such recommendations, the court said.