Neeraj Chopra, Mithali Raj Among Indian Sports Achievers Honoured In Dazzling Ceremony

Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, veteran girl cricketer Mithali Raj and history-making Paralympic stars shared the highlight as an unprecedented 12 sportspersons had been introduced with India’s highest sporting honour — the Main Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna — by President Ram Nath Kovind in New Delhi on Saturday. In a glittering operate organised on the Durbar Corridor of the Rashtrapati Bhawan, the President recognised the nation’s unparalleled Olympic and Paralympic performances. The occasion grew to become an in-person affair this time after going surfing the earlier yr because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The star attraction of the night was Chopra, who obtained his Khel Ratna award amid thunderous applause from the choose dignitaries current on the specifically organised operate.

Chopra was the primary among the many Khel Ratna awardees to obtain the honour.

Apart from the 23-year-old star, different recipients of the Khel Ratna recognition, had been Olympic bronze-winning Indian males’s hockey group captain Manpreet Singh, veteran goalkeeper P R Sreejesh, Olympic silver-medallist wrestler Ravi Dahiya, Olympic bronze-winning boxer Lovlina Borgohain and Mithali.

Sunil Chhetri grew to become the primary footballer to be bestowed the award, a well-deserved recognition for conserving tempo with the likes of Lionel Messi in scoring worldwide objectives.

Paralympic gold-winners Avani Lekhara (Capturing), Sumit Antil (Athletics), Pramod Bhagat (Badminton), Krishna Nagar (Badminton), Manish Narwal (Capturing) had been additionally given the Khel Ratna.

Together with 12 Khel Ratnas, India this yr has 35 Arjuna awardees. The lengthy record this yr was a results of the historic medal hauls on the Olympics (7) and Paralympics (19).

The occasion is historically held on August 29 yearly to commemorate the start anniversary of hockey legend Main Dhyan Chand.

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The Khel Ratna award carries a money prize purse of Rs 25 lakh, a medal a scroll of honour. The Arjuna award carries a prize cash of Rs 15 lakh, a bronze statue and a scroll of honour.

Current at Saturday’s ceremony was sports activities minister Anurag Thakur together with a number of different dignitaries, together with his predecessor Kiren Rijiju.