India's twin-Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and chess prodigy D Gukesh have been named among the four recipients of the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, as confirmed by the sports ministry, according to PTI on Thursday. The announcement comes after a week of controversy, when it was revealed that Bhaker's nomination may have initially been overlooked.
The shooter later acknowledged a possible ‘lapse’ on her part while submitting the nomination. "I believe there has been a lapse, possibly on my part, while filing for the nomination, which is being corrected. Irrespective of the award, I shall remain motivated to win more medals for my country. I kindly request everyone not to speculate on this matter," she had said earlier.
India's men's hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh and para-athlete Praveen Kumar are the other two recipients of this year’s Khel Ratna Award, which is the country's highest sporting honour.
Bhaker made history at the Paris Olympics in August, becoming independent India's first athlete to win two medals in a single edition, securing bronze in both the 10m air pistol individual and 10m air pistol mixed team events.
In the same Games, Harmanpreet led the Indian men's hockey team to its second consecutive bronze medal, further cementing his legacy in Indian sports. Meanwhile, the 18-year-old chess prodigy Gukesh made headlines by becoming the youngest-ever World Champion, while also contributing to India's historic gold medal win at the Chess Olympiad last year.
The fourth recipient, Praveen Kumar, was honoured for his extraordinary performance in the Paris Paralympics, where he clinched the T64 high-jump title. The T64 classification is for athletes with one or both legs missing below the knee, who rely on a prosthetic leg for running.
The awardees will receive their accolades from the President of India during a special ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 17, 2025, as confirmed by the sports ministry in a press release.
Source Name : Hindustan Times