New Delhi:
In a significant announcement made by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports on Thursday, January 2, 2025, four outstanding athletes have been selected to receive the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, India’s highest sporting honor. The recipients include Manu Bhaker, a double Olympic medallist in shooting, D Gukesh, the youngest-ever World Chess Champion, Harmanpreet Singh, the captain of the Indian men’s hockey team, and Praveen Kumar, a para-athlete who excelled in the T64 high jump category.
Manu Bhaker, at just 22 years old, has made history by becoming the first athlete from independent India to win two medals in a single Olympic edition. Her bronze medals in the 10m air pistol individual and 10m air pistol mixed team events at the Paris Games in August have cemented her place among the country’s top athletes. Bhaker’s nomination had earlier been marred by controversy, with initial reports suggesting her name might have been overlooked, but she acknowledged a possible lapse on her part during the nomination process.
D Gukesh, only 18 years old, has achieved remarkable success by becoming the youngest-ever World Chess Champion and contributing to India’s historic gold in the Chess Olympiad last year. His achievements have set a new benchmark in the world of chess.
Harmanpreet Singh led the Indian hockey team to its second consecutive bronze medal at the Paris Games, continuing the team’s legacy of excellence in international hockey. Praveen Kumar, a para high-jumper, was crowned the T64 champion in the Paris Paralympics, a classification for athletes with one or both legs missing below the knee who use a prosthetic leg for running.
The awardees will receive their honors from the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, at a special function at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 17, 2025, at 11 AM IST.
In addition to the Khel Ratna awards, the Sports Ministry has also announced the recipients of the Arjuna Awards, which include 32 athletes, with 17 being para-athletes. Notable names in this list are Jyothi Yarraji, Annu Rani, Nitu, Saweety, Vantika Agrawal, and several others from various disciplines.
Former athletes Sucha Singh and Murlikant Rajaram Petkar have been awarded the Arjuna Awards (Lifetime) for their outstanding contributions to athletics and para-swimming, respectively. Coaches Subhash Rana, Deepali Deshpande, and Sandeep Sangwan will receive the Dronacharya Award in the regular category, while S Muralidharan and Armando Agnelo Colaco will be honored with the Dronacharya Award in the lifetime category.
The Physical Education Foundation of India has been awarded the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar, and Chandigarh University, Lovely Professional University, and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, have been recognized with the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy 2024 for their performance in the Khelo India University Games.
