On January 17, Friday, several athletes and coaches were honored at the National Sports Awards ceremony, recognizing their exceptional contributions to Indian sports.
ATHLETICS
Praveen Kumar (Para Athlete): Awarded the Khel Ratna Award for winning a Gold medal in Men’s High Jump T64 at the 2024 Paralympics.
Jyothi Yarraji (Athlete): Recognized with the Arjuna Award for her exceptional performance, including gold in the 60m hurdles at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships.
Preeti Pal (Para Athlete): Awarded the Arjuna Award for winning two bronze medals in the 100m and 200m T35 races at the 2024 Paralympics.
Jeevanji Deepthi (Para-Athlete): Conferred with the Arjuna Award after winning a bronze medal in the women’s 400m T20 event at the Paris Paralympics 2024.
Ajeet Singh (Para Athlete): Received the Arjuna Award for securing a silver medal in men’s javelin throw F46 at the Paris Paralympics 2024.
SHOOTING
Sarabjot Singh and Manu Bhaker (Shooters): Awarded the Arjuna Award for winning India’s first-ever shooting team medal in the 10m air pistol event at the Olympics.
Manu Bhaker (Shooter): Awarded the prestigious Khel Ratna Award for winning multiple Olympic and World Cup medals, including a historic team medal.
Swapnil Suresh Kusale (Shooter): Conferred with the Arjuna Award for winning a bronze in the 50m rifle 3P event at the Tokyo Olympics.
Rubina Francis (Para-Shooter): Awarded the Arjuna Award after winning a bronze in the P2 women’s 10m air pistol SH-1 event at the 2024 Paralympics.
CHESS
Vantika Agrawal (Indian Chess Grandmaster): Awarded the Arjuna Award for being part of India’s historic gold-winning women’s chess team at the 2024 Chess Olympiad.
Gukesh Dommaraju (Chess Grandmaster): Honored with the Khel Ratna Award for his historic victory in the 2024 World Chess Championship, becoming India’s second world champion.
HOCKEY
Harmanpreet Singh (Indian Men’s Hockey Team Captain): Conferred with the Khel Ratna Award for his leadership and outstanding performance in leading India to a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics 2024.
Jarmanpreet Singh, Sanjay, Abhishek, and Sukhjeet Singh (Indian Men’s Hockey Team): Awarded the Arjuna Award for their outstanding performances, contributing significantly to India’s success in international hockey tournaments.
Salima Tete (Women’s Hockey Team Captain): Conferred with the Arjuna Award for her leadership and exceptional performances in international women’s hockey competitions.
Coaches
S Muralidharan (Badminton Coach): Received the Dronacharya Lifetime Award for mentoring players like U Vimal Kumar and Madhumita Bisht, excelling at international tournaments.
Armando Colaco (Football Coach): Honored with the Dronacharya Lifetime Award for his contribution to Indian football, coaching legends like Sunil Chhetri and winning multiple SAFF Cups.
Sandeep Sangwan (Hockey Coach): Conferred with the Dronacharya Award for his coaching role, helping players like Jarmanpreet and Abhishek win Olympic and Asian Games medals.
Subhash Rana (Para-Shooting Coach): Honored with the Dronacharya Award for training athletes like Avani Lekhara, contributing to India’s medal success in the Paralympics.
Deepali Deshpande (Shooting Coach): Awarded the Dronacharya Award for her success in training shooters like Swapnil Kusale and Anjum Moudgil, helping them excel internationally.
These athletes and coaches have made invaluable contributions to Indian sports, bringing recognition and pride to the nation on global platforms.