Gukesh, Manu, Harmanpreet, Praveen Honoured with Khel Ratna by President Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan
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Synopsis
The esteemed Khel Ratna Award was presented to Gukesh D, Manu Bhaker, Harmanpreet Singh, and Praveen Kumar by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, recognizing their outstanding achievements in sports.
Key Takeaways
- Gukesh D recognized as the youngest World Chess Champion.
- Manu Bhaker is the first Indian athlete with two medals in one Games.
- Harmanpreet Singh led India to a bronze medal in men's hockey.
- Praveen Kumar won gold in high jump at the Paralympics.
- The Arjuna Award honored numerous athletes for their excellence.
New Delhi, Jan 17 (NationPress) The World Chess Champion Gukesh D along with Manu Bhaker (shooting), Harmanpreet Singh (hockey), and Praveen Kumar (para-athlete) were awarded the esteemed Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award by President Droupadi Murmu in a special ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday.
The National Sports Awards are presented annually to acknowledge and celebrate excellence in sports. The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award is conferred for exceptional and remarkable achievements in sports by an athlete over the last four years.
Gukesh made history as the youngest World Chess Champion after defeating China's Ding Liren in the championship match in Singapore. Meanwhile, Manu became the first Indian athlete to secure two medals in a single edition of the Games in Paris, winning a double bronze in the 10m air pistol and 10m air pistol mixed team event.
Harmanpreet captained India to their second consecutive Olympic bronze medal in men's hockey, while Praveen clinched gold in the high jump T64 at the Paralympics.
Among the thirty-two athletes honored with the Arjuna Award, seventeen were para-athletes. This list includes Jyothi Yarraji, Annu Rani, Nitu, Saweety, Vantika Agrawal, Salima Tete, Abhishek, Sanjay, Jarmanpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Rakesh Kumar, Preeti Pal, Jeevanji Deepthi, Ajeet Singh, Sachin Sarjerao Khilari, Dharambir, Pranav Soorma, H Hokato Sema, Simran, Navdeep, Nitesh Kumar, Thulasimathi Murugesan, Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan, Manisha Ramadass, Kapil Parmar, Mona Agarwal, Rubina Francis, Swapnil Suresh Kusale, Sarabjot Singh, Abhay Singh, Sajan Prakash, and Aman.
The Arjuna Award recognizes outstanding performance in sports over the past four years, along with demonstrating leadership, sportsmanship, and discipline.
Former cyclist Sucha Singh and para-swimmer Murlikant Rajaram Petkar received the Arjuna Awards (Lifetime) to honor their continuous contribution to sports beyond their competitive careers.
Murlikant Rajaram Petkar etched his name in history during the 1972 Paralympic Games in Heidelberg, Germany, winning a gold medal in the Men's 50m Freestyle 3 event and breaking the World Record twice on his journey to victory.
Subhash Rana (para-shooter), Deepali Deshpande (shooting), and Sandeep Sangwan (hockey) received the Dronacharya Award, while S Muralidharan (badminton) and Armando Agnelo Colaco (football) were recognized with the Dronacharya Award (Lifetime).
The Dronacharya Award is given to coaches for their exceptional and consistent contribution that enables athletes to excel in international competitions.
The Physical Education Foundation of India was awarded the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar.
Chandigarh University, Lovely Professional University (PB), and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar received the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy for being the overall top-performing universities in the Khelo India University Games.
