Double Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker, World Chess Champion D Gukesh along with Indian men’s hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh and para-athlete Praveen Kumar are to be conferred with Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2024. The news regarding the same was released on Thursday.
The 22-year-old Bhaker became independent India’s first athlete to win two medals in a single edition of the Olympics with her bronze-winning show in the 10m air pistol individual and 10m air pistol mixed team events in August at the Paris Olympics.
In the same edition, Harmanpreet led the Indian hockey team to its second consecutive bronze medal.
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Teenage chess sensation Gukesh, on the other hand, became the youngest ever, at 18 years of age, to become the World champion while also helping the Indian team win a historic gold in the Chess Olympiad.
Praveen Kumar was crowned the T64 champion in the Paris Paralympics. The T64 classification is for athletes who have one or both legs missing below the knee and rely on a prosthetic leg for running.
“Based on the recommendations of the Committee and after due scrutiny, Government has decided to confer awards upon the following sportspersons, coaches, university and entity,” the government said in a statement.
Additionally, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry announced names of players who will be honoured with the prestigious Arjuna Awards for outstanding performance in 2024.
A total of 32 athletes will be receiving the honour.
Arjuna Awards (Lifetime) for outstanding performance in Sports and Games in 2024 will be awarded to Sucha Singh (athletics) and Murlikant Rajaram Petkar (para-swimming).
Check the list of full awards and awardees here.
The awardees will receive their awards from the India’s President Droupadi Murmu at a specially organised function at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 17 January, 2025 at 11 am.
(The article is published under a mutual content partnership arrangement between The Free Press Journal and Connected to India)
