Biggest medal haul, longest listing of awardees

The unprecedented medal haul by Indian sportspersons at this yr’s Olympics and Paralympics has resulted in a highest-ever variety of suggestions for the Khel Ratna and Arjuna Awards.
Tokyo Olympics javelin throw champion Neeraj Chopra, silver medallist wrestler Ravi Dahiya, bronze-winning boxer Lovlina Borgohain and hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh are amongst 11 names chosen for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, the nation’s highest sporting honour.
India had its greatest medal haul on the Tokyo Olympics with one gold, two silver and 4 bronze medals. The different three medallists – wrestler Bajrang Punia, shuttler PV Sindhu and weightlifter Mirabai Chanu – have already been conferred with the Khel Ratna.
The 23-year-old Chopra grew to become solely the second Indian to win a person Olympic gold medallist after Abhinav Bindra within the 10m air rifle capturing occasion on the 2008 Beijing Olympics. India had despatched its biggest-ever Olympic contingent to Tokyo this yr.
All 5 gold medallists from the Tokyo Paralympics had been additionally shortlisted for the Khel Ratna on Wednesday. They are Avani Lekhara (capturing), Manish Narwal (capturing), Sumit Antil (athletics), Pramod Bhagat (badminton) and Krishna Nagar (badminton).
India returned with 19 medals – together with 5 gold, eight silver and 6 bronze – from the Paralympics.
In addition, the choice committee additionally named footballer Sunil Chhetri and girls’s Test cricket captain Mithali Raj within the listing, which can now be despatched to the union sports activities ministry for approval.
The announcement of the nationwide sports activities awards was delayed in order that performances on the Paralympics is also thought of.
The panel additionally named as many as 35 athletes for the Arjuna Award, together with cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, para desk tennis participant Bhavina Patel, para shuttler Suhas Yathiraj and excessive jumper Nishad Kumar.
Others chosen by the panel for the Arjuna Award embrace all of Sreejesh’s bronze-winning teammates, ladies’s hockey gamers Vandana Katariya and Monika, fencer Bhavani Devi, boxer Simranjit Kaur, wrestler Deepak Punia, pistol shooter Abhishek Verma, boxer Simranjit Kaur, kabaddi participant Sandeep Narwal and girls’s tennis participant Ankita Raina.
Mallakhamb participant Himani Uttam Parab and Arpinder Singh (triple soar, athletics) are additionally amongst these getting the nod for the honour.
Five athletes had been chosen for the Khel Ratna final yr whereas 4 acquired it after the 2016 Rio Games. The variety of names shortlisted for the Arjuna Award final yr was 27.
Former sports activities minister Kiren Rijiju had sought to clarify the big variety of awardees arguing that India’s efficiency at worldwide competitions had improved significantly in current occasions and the awards ought to recognise and honour these achievements.
Not too way back, there was once not multiple Khel Ratna awardee in a yr, and typically nobody was conferred the honour if the committee didn’t deem anybody worthy of it.
Meanwhile, para athlete Sumit Antil, who received a gold medal in javelin throw in Tokyo, mentioned he’ll apply for the Arjuna Award in future regardless of being chosen for the upper honour.
“Though I had applied for the Arjuna Award, I am happy that the committee found me suitable for this award (Khel Ratna). I am honoured to receive this award. But in future I shall apply for the Arjuna Award too, as since childhood I had dreamt to be an Arjuna Awardee. And if people think that it is for money, I announce that I will give the award money of the Arjuna Award, if I win, to charity,” Antil mentioned in a press release.
Also, athletics coaches Radhakrishna Nair and TP Ouseph in addition to hockey coach Sandeep Sangwan are amongst these chosen for the Dronacharya award. The Khel Ratna awardees obtain Rs 25 lakh and a quotation, whereas the Arjuna award carries a prize purse of Rs 15 lakh every and a quotation.