The Sports Ministry announced on Thursday, January 2, that double Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker and world chess champion D Gukesh are among the four athletes selected to receive the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. The award ceremony will take place on January 17 at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where President Droupadi Murmu will confer the honors.
In addition to Bhaker and Gukesh, Indian men’s hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh and Paralympian Praveen Kumar will also receive the Khel Ratna Award.
The announcement follows controversy earlier in the year when Manu Bhaker’s name was initially omitted from the list of nominees. Bhaker’s father and coach, Jaspal Rana, expressed disappointment over the oversight, while Manu’s father, Ram Kishan Bhaker, even suggested that his daughter should have pursued cricket instead. Despite the criticism, Manu Bhaker addressed the situation with grace, stating that she remained focused on her athletic goals and had no concerns regarding the omission. She acknowledged the possible lapse in the nomination process, which is now being corrected.
Khel Ratna Award Winners:
Manu Bhaker (Shooting): Bhaker won bronze in both the 10m air pistol and the 10m mixed team event at the Paris Olympics, becoming the first athlete to win multiple medals in a single edition of the Games since Independence.
D Gukesh (Chess): Gukesh became the youngest-ever world champion in classical chess after defeating China’s Ding Liren in December.
Harmanpreet Singh (Hockey): Singh led India to their second consecutive Olympic bronze in men’s hockey at the Tokyo Games.
Praveen Kumar (Para-Athletics): Kumar clinched gold in the High Jump T 64 event at the Paris Paralympics.
Other Awards: Alongside the Khel Ratna Awards, the Sports Ministry also announced the Arjuna and Dronacharya awards for athletes and coaches, respectively. The Arjuna Award will be conferred on 32 athletes across various disciplines, while three coaches will receive the Dronacharya Award for their outstanding contributions to the development of their sports.
Full List of Award Winners (National Sports Day 2024):
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award
D Gukesh (Chess)
Harmanpreet Singh (Hockey)
Praveen Kumar (Para-Athletics)
Manu Bhaker (Shooting)
Arjuna Award
Jyothi Yarraji (Athletics)
Annu Rani (Athletics)
Nitu (Boxing)
Saweety (Boxing)
Vantika Agrawal (Chess)
Salima Tete (Hockey)
Abhishek (Hockey)
Sanjay (Hockey)
Jarmanpreet Singh (Hockey)
Sukhjeet Singh (Hockey)
Rakesh Kumar (Para-Archery)
Preeti Pal (Para-Athletics)
Jeevanji Deepthi (Para-Athletics)
Ajeet Singh (Para-Athletics)
Sachin Sarjerao Khilari (Para-Athletics)
Dharambir (Para-Athletics)
Pranav Soorma (Para-Athletics)
H Hokato Sema (Para-Athletics)
Simran (Para-Athletics)
Navdeep (Para-Athletics)
Nitesh Kumar (Para-Badminton)
Thulasimathi Murugesan (Para-Badminton)
Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan (Para-Badminton)
Manisha Ramadass (Para-Badminton)
Kapil Parmar (Para-Judo)
Mona Agarwal (Para-Shooting)
Rubina Francis (Para-Shooting)
Swapnil Suresh Kusale (Shooting)
Sarabjot Singh (Shooting)
Abhay Singh (Squash)
Sajan Prakash (Swimming)
Aman (Wrestling)
Arjuna Awards (Lifetime)
Sucha Singh (Athletics)
Murlikant Rajaram Petkar (Para-Swimming)
Dronacharya Award for Outstanding Coaches
Subhash Rana (Para-Shooting)
Deepali Deshpande (Shooting)
Sandeep Sangwan (Hockey)
Lifetime Category
S Muralidharan (Badminton)
Armando Agnelo Colaco (Football)
These awards recognize the exceptional talent, dedication, and achievements of India’s sportspeople across various fields, further reinforcing their contributions to the nation’s sporting legacy.
