Sports Ministry announced on Thursday that Manu Bhaker and world chess champion D Gukesh are among the four athletes who will be honoured with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award on January 17. Manu’s name had initially been missing from the list of nominees for the Khel Ratna, the highest sporting honour in the country.”
Indian men’s hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh and Paralympian Praveen Kumar will also receive the Khel Ratna Award from the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, at a specially organised function at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on January 17. The Ministry said in a statement, “Based on the recommendations of the Committee and after due scrutiny, the Government has decided to confer awards upon the following sportspersons, coaches, universities, and entities”.
The Sports Ministry announced the list of athletes who will be given the Khel Ratna, Arjuna and Dhronacharya awards on January 17. While four will be conferred with the Khel Ratna award, 32 athletes will receive the Arjuna Award, and Dhronacharya Award for three coaches.
A controversy had occurred over Manu Bhaker’s omission from the list of nominees for the prestigious Khel Ratna Award. The shooter’s father and coach, Jaspal Rana, expressed their disappointment over the oversight, criticising the sporting authorities for not nominating her after her achievements in the Olympic year. Manu’s father, Ram Kishan Bhaker, even remarked that he should have made his daughter a cricketer instead of a shooter.
However, Manu Bhaker addressed the controversy in a statement, clarifying that she was not concerned with awards and remained focused on winning more laurels for the country. She acknowledged a potential oversight in the nomination process.
“Regarding the ongoing issue with my nomination for the prestigious Khel Ratna award, I would like to state that, as an athlete, my role is to play and perform for my country. I believe there has been a lapse, possibly on my part, while filing for the nomination, which is being corrected,” Manu said in a post on Instagram.
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award
Shri Gukesh D – Chess
Shri Harmanpreet Singh – Hockey
Shri Praveen Kumar – Para-Athletics
Ms. Manu Bhakar – Shooting
Arjuna Award
Ms. Jyothi Yarraji – Athletics
Ms. Annu Rani – Athletics
Ms. Nitu – Boxing
Ms. Saweety – Boxing
Ms. Vantika Agrawal – Chess
Ms. Salima Tete – Hockey
Shri Abhishek – Hockey
Shri Sanjay – Hockey
Shri Jarmanpreet Singh – Hockey
Shri Sukhjeet Singh – Hockey
Shri Rakesh Kumar – Para-Archery
Ms. Preeti Pal – Para-Athletics
Ms. Jeevanji Deepthi – Para-Athletics
Shri Ajeet Singh – Para-Athletics
Shri Sachin Sarjerao Khilari – Para-Athletics
Shri Dharambir – Para-Athletics
Shri Pranav Soorma – Para-Athletics
Shri H Hokato Sema – Para-Athletics
Ms. Simran – Para-Athletics
Shri Navdeep – Para-Athletics
Shri Nitesh Kumar – Para-Badminton
Ms. Thulasimathi Murugesan – Para-Badminton
Ms. Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan – Para-Badminton
Ms. Manisha Ramadass – Para-Badminton
Shri Kapil Parmar – Para-Judo
Ms. Mona Agarwal – Para-Shooting
Ms. Rubina Francis – Para-Shooting
Shri Swapnil Suresh Kusale – Shooting
Shri Sarabjot Singh – Shooting
Shri Abhay Singh – Squash
Shri Sajan Prakash – Swimming
Shri Aman – Wrestling
Arjuna Awards (Lifetime)
Shri Sucha Singh – Athletics
Shri Murlikant Rajaram Petkar – Para-Swimming
Dronacharya Award for Outstanding Coaches
Shri Subhash Rana – Para-Shooting
Ms. Deepali Deshpande – Shooting
Shri Sandeep Sangwan – Hockey
Lifetime Category
Shri S Muralidharan – Badminton
Shri Armando Agnelo Colaco – Football
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