The Sports Ministry of India announced the list of awardees for the highly prestigious Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, the nation’s highest honor in sports. This year, four exceptional sportspersons will be given the award for their spectacular performances: Manu Bhaker, D. Gukesh, Harmanpreet Singh, and Praveen Kumar.
The Khel Ratna Award is considered the ultimate form of recognition given to sportspersons in India. Shooter Manu Bhaker made history with great performances. Young 18-year-old chess wonder D. Gukesh was crowned World Chess Champion. The captain of the Indian men’s hockey team, Harmanpreet Singh, led his team to the historic bronze medal in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Para-athlete Praveen Kumar bagged a gold at the Tokyo Paralympics, which added to India’s impressive medal tally in para-sports.
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announces the Khel Ratna Award for Olympic double medalist Manu Bhaker, Chess World Champion Gukesh D, Hockey team Captain Harmanpreet Singh, and Paralympic Gold medallist Praveen Kumar. pic.twitter.com/VD54E0EtEk
— ANI (@ANI) January 2, 2025
Row Over Manu Bhaker’s Selection
A controversy broke out after reports claimed that the name of shooter Manu Bhaker was not there in the list of sportspersons recommended for the Khel Ratna award. Bhaker’s father, Ram Kishan, and her coach, Jaspal Rana, expressed anguish over the move.
Responding to the controversy, Bhaker clarified that maybe there was some administrative failure at the time of nomination. On social media, she posted a statement: “As an athlete, my role is to play and perform for my country. Awards and recognition keep me motivated but are not my goal.”. I think there has been a lapse, maybe on my part while filing for the nomination, which is being corrected. Irrespective of the award, I will remain motivated to win more medals for my country. ”
Highlights Of The Athletes’ Achievements
Manu Bhaker: Just 22 years old, Bhaker was the first athlete to win two medals for independent India in a single edition of the Olympics. She won the bronze in the 10m air pistol individual event and the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Harmanpreet Singh: This young hockey player led the Indian men’s hockey team to achieve the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Under his leadership, India had successfully achieved the results on the world stage.
D. Gukesh: A chess prodigy who created a huge buzz when he became the world chess champion and was the youngest in the world. His success had also added a golden medal in the Chess Olympiad, bringing more prestige for India in chess at the global level.
Praveen Kumar: The T64 category athlete with a limb amputation won the T64 gold in high-jump at the Tokyo Paralympics. His victory made it a historic moment for Indian para-athletics.
The winning athletes will be awarded during a special ceremony hosted at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 17th January 2025, which is when the President of India will award the trophies.
Arjuna Awards For 32 Athletes
Apart from the Khel Ratna recipients, the sports ministry has announced the winners of the Arjuna Award as well, the most distinguished one for outstanding achievements by athletes. Among the 32 athletes identified, 17 are para-athletes, displaying exceptional skill in their respective areas.
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