India honour its sporting best at dazzling National Awards ceremony

Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, India opener Shikhar Dhawan, veteran woman cricketer Mithali Raj and history-making Paralympic stars shared the spotlight as an unprecedented 12 sportspersons were presented with India’s highest sporting honour -- the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna -- by President Ram Nath Kovind here on Saturday.

In a glittering function organised at the Durbar Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhawan here, the President also bestowed 35 sports persons with the Arjuna award as he recognised the country’s unparalleled Olympic and Para-lympic performances this year.

The event became an in-person affair this time after going online the previous year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.The star attraction of the evening was Chopra, who received his Khel Ratna award amid thunderous applause from the select dignitaries present on the specially organised function.
Chopra, who became India’s first Olympic medallist in athletics and the first gold-medallist in 13 years, was the first among the Khel Ratna awardees to receive the honour.

Besides the 23-year-old star, other recipients of the Khel Ratna recognition,were Olympic bronze-winning Indian men’s hockey team captain Manpreet Singh, veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, Olympic silver-medallist wrestler Ravi Dahiya, Olympic bronze winning boxer Lovlina Borgohain and Mithali, who became the first woman cricketer to get the award.

‘I got Khel Ratna for playing 19 years’

The first footballer to be conferred with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, Indian maestro Sunil Chhetri on Saturday credited his longevity at the top level as the reason for bagging the highest sporting honour of the country. The 37-year-old India captain,who began his professional career in 2002 with the famous Mohun Bagan club and made his international debut in 2005, received the Khel Ratna from President Ram Nath Kovind.

“One of the primary reasons why I got the Khel Ratna Award is because I have been playing for 19 years. I want to thank each one of the masseurs, physios and doctors. You superstars have been the main reason why I could be on the pitch,” Chhetri said. (PTI)