President Droupadi Murmu presented the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award to four exceptional athletes at a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday. World Chess Champion Gukesh D, along with Paris Olympics and Paralympics medalists Manu Bhaker (shooting), Harmanpreet Singh (hockey), and Praveen Kumar (para-athlete). Were honored for their outstanding achievements in their respective sports.
The committee gives the Khel Ratna Award annually to sportspersons for their exceptional performance over the past four years.
Gukesh made history as the youngest-ever World Chess Champion, defeating China’s Ding Liren in the title match in Singapore. Manu Bhaker earned a unique distinction by becoming the first Indian athlete to win double bronze medals in the same Paris Olympics—one in the 10m air pistol and another in the 10m air pistol mixed team event.
Harmanpreet Singh led India to a historic second consecutive Olympic bronze in men’s hockey. While Praveen Kumar clinched a gold medal in high jump T64 at the Paralympics.
The committee recognized 32 athletes with the Arjuna Award for their outstanding performance over the last four years. In addition to the Khel Ratna Awards. Among them were 17 para-athletes, including Jyothi Yarraji, Annu Rani, and Nitu, among others. The Arjuna Award also acknowledges leadership qualities, sportsmanship, and discipline.
Former cyclist Sucha Singh and para-swimmer Murlikant Rajaram Petkar received the Arjuna Award (Lifetime) for their continued contributions to sports. Murlikant made history by winning a gold medal at the 1972 Paralympic Games in Heidelberg, Germany, breaking the World Record twice.
The committee presented the Dronacharya Award to coaches who have shown consistent excellence in training athletes to succeed at international events. They honored Subhash Rana (para-shooter), Deepali Deshpande (shooting), and Sandeep Sangwan (hockey) with the award. While S Muralidharan (badminton) and Armando Agnelo Colaco (football) received the Dronacharya Lifetime Award.
The Physical Education Foundation of India received the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar. While Chandigarh University, Lovely Professional University, and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, won the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy for top performance in the Khelo India University Games.
