The Khel Ratna award is given to a sportsperson for their spectacular and outstanding performances over the previous four years.
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Manpreet Singh, the Olympic bronze medalist captain of the Indian men’s hockey team, was added to the list of Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna awardees on Tuesday, bringing the total number of this year’s winners to an unprecedented 12, with the ceremony scheduled for November 13 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Manpreet was originally nominated for the Arjuna award, but he was joined by veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh as the second hockey player on the list of awardees. This year’s other notable Khel Ratna recipients include Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra and Olympic silver medalist wrestler Ravi Dahiya. Most of India’s Paralympic medalists, as well as cricketers Shikhar Dhawan and Mithali Raj, are among the 35 Arjuna awardees. Lovlina Borgohain, who was India’s first medal winner at the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics will also be a recipient of the award.
“The awardees will receive their awards from the President of India at a specially organized function at the Darbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan on 13th November, 2021 (Saturday) at 1630 hrs,” the sports ministry announced.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was held online last year. The Khel Ratna award is given to a sportsperson for their spectacular and outstanding performances over the previous four years. The number of awardees was expected to be high this year, given the unprecedented Olympic and Paralympic performances.
India won seven medals at the Olympics and 19 medals at the Paralympics, including five gold, eight silver, and six bronze medals, in the country’s best-ever performance at the two sporting extravaganzas. The Dronacharya awards were given to a total of ten coaches.
In the life-time achievement category, T. P. Ouseph (Athletics), Sarkar Talwar (Cricket), Sarpal Singh (Hockey), Ashan Kumar (Kabaddi) and Tapan Kumar Panigrahi (Swimming) were picked for the honour.
The winners in the regular Dronacharya category were: Radhakrishnan Nair P (Athletics), Sandhya Gurung (Boxing), Pritam Siwach (Hockey), Jai Prakash Nautiyal (Para Shooting) and Subramanian Raman (Table Tennis).
Apart from being an assistant coach in the national camp, Gurung is also the personal coach of Olympic bronze medalist Lovlina Borgohain, who will receive the Khel Ratna just a year after receiving the Arjuna award.
Sajjan Singh (Wrestling), former world and Asian champion boxer Lekha K.C, Abhijeet Kunte (Chess), Davinder Singh Garcha (Hockey), and Vikas Kumar were all chosen for the Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement (Kabaddi).
The selection committee for this year’s awards was led by Justice (Retd.) Mukundakam Sharma (former Supreme Court Judge) and included three-time Paralympic medalist javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia, former cricketer Venkatesh Prasad, and ex-world champion boxer L Sarita Devi, among others.
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award: Neeraj Chopra (Athletics), Ravi Kumar(Wrestling), Lovlina Borgohain (Boxing), P.R Sreejesh (Hockey), Avani Lekhara (Para Shooting), Sumit Antil (Para Athletics), Pramod Bhagat (Para Badminton), Krishna Nagar (Para Badminton), Manish Narwal (Para Shooting), Mithali Raj (Cricket), Sunil Chhetri (Football), Manpreet Singh (Hockey).
Arjuna Awards: Arpinder Singh (Athletics), Simranjit Kaur (Boxing), Shikhar Dhawan (Cricket), CA Bhavani Devi (Fencing), Monika (Hockey), Vandana Katariya (Hockey), Sandeep Narwal (Kabaddi), Himani Uttam Parab (Mallakhamb), Abhishek Verma (Shooting), Ankita Raina (Tennis), Deepak Punia (Wrestling), Dilpreet Singh (Hockey), Harman Preet Singh (Hockey), Rupinder Pal Singh (Hockey), Surender Kumar (Hockey), Amit Rohidas (Hockey), Birendra Lakra (Hockey), Sumit (Hockey), Nilakanta Sharma (Hockey), Hardik Singh (Hockey), Vivek Sagar Prasad (Hockey), Gurjant Singh (Hockey), Mandeep Singh (Hockey), Shamsher Singh (Hockey), Lalit Kumar Upadhyay (Hockey), Varun Kumar (Hockey), Simranjeet Singh (Hockey), Yogesh Kathuniya (Para Athletics) Nishad Kumar (Para Athletics), Praveen Kumar(Para Athletics), Suhash Yathiraj (Para Badminton) Singhraj Adhana (Para Shooting), Bhavina Patel (Para Table Tennis), Harvinder Singh (Para Archery) and Sharad Kumar (Para Athletics).
