NEW DELHI, Aug 18: Star cricketer Rohit Sharma, wrestler Vinesh Phogat, and women’s hockey captain Rani Rampal were among an unprecedented five sportspersons picked for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, while a whopping 29 were recommended for the Arjuna award by the sports ministry’s selection committee here on Tuesday.
Paddler Manika Batra and Rio Paralympic gold-winning high jumper Mariyappan Thangavelu were the other two recommended for the country’s highest sporting honour by a 12-member selection committee. Rampal was a late addition to the initial list of four.
For the Arjuna, India pacer Ishant Sharma, teen shooting sensations Saurabh Chaudhary and Manu Bhaker, sprinter Dutee Chand, footballer Sandesh Jhinghan, woman cricketer Deepti Sharma, woman boxer Lovlina Borgohain and Indian luge legend Shiva Keshavan are some of the big names to be shortlisted, an official source said.
Rower Dattu Bhokannal, boxer Manish Kaushik, wrestler Rahul Aware, recurve archer Atanu Das, women’s hockey team player Deepika Thakur, kabaddi player Deepak Hooda, tennis player Divij Sharan, woman paddler Madhurima Patkar and badminton men’s doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy.
The 31-year-old Ishant has played 97 Tests and 80 ODIs for India, grabbing over 400 international wickets.
This is the first time in the history of awards that five athletes have been recommended for the top sporting accolade with the final decision resting on sports minister Kiren Rijiju.
The 33-year-old Rohit will only be the fourth cricketer after Sachin Tendulkar, just-retired Mahendra Singh Dhoni and current skipper Virat Kohli to be conferred with the Khel Ratna.
Tendulkar was the first Indian cricketer to get the honour in 1998, followed by Dhoni in 2007 and Kohli in 2018. Kohli won it jointly with weightlifter Mirabai Chanu.
The committee, comprising the likes of Virender Sehwag and former hockey captain Sardar Singh, met at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) headquarters here and finalised the names after deliberations that took up the first half of the day.
While Rohit has been recognised for his ever-rising accomplishments with the bat, Vinesh has been rewarded for her gold medals in the 2018 Commonwealth and Asian Games besides a bronze in the 2019 Asian Wrestling Championships.
Terming it as one of the biggest moments of her career, Vinesh promised to live upto the expectations associated with the award.
Star paddler Manika was recommended for her remarkable performance in 2018, a year during which she won the Commonwealth Games gold medal and Asian Games bronze in women’s singles.
Rani is the lone female hockey player to have been recommended for the honour.
Before Rani, only Dhanraj Pillay (2000) and Sardar Singh (2017) won the prestigious award. Sardar, incidentally, was a part of the 12-member selection committee this year.
“Rani’s name was a late inclusion after some members wanted a discussion on her nomination. After due deliberation, everyone felt that she deserves the recognition for her achievements,” a source close to the development said.
In a first, this year’s National Sports Awards ceremony, which normally held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, is likely to be conducted virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with all the winners logging in from their respective places to hear their names being announced on August 29.
August 29 is celebrated as the National Sports Day to commemorate the birth anniversary of hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand.
List of awardees:
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Aaward: Rohit Sharma (cricket), Vinesh Phogat (wreestling), Manika Batra (table tennis), Rani Rampal (hockey).
Arjuna Award: Ishant Sharma (cricket), Atanu Das (archery), Deepak Hooda (kabaddi), Deepkia Thakur (hockey), Divij Sharan (tennis), Mirabai Chanu (weightlifting), Sakshi Malik (wrestling), Akashdeep Singh (hockey), Lovlina Borgohain (boxing), Manu Bhaker (shooting), Saurabh Chaudhary (shooting), Manish Kaushik (boxing), Sandesh Jhinghan (football), Dattu Bhokanal (rowing), Rahul Aware (wrestling), Dutee Chand (athletics), Deepti Sharma (cricket), Shiva Keshavan (winter sports), Madhurike Patkar (table tennis), Manish Narwal (para shooter), Sandeep Chaudhary (parathlete), Suyash Jadhav (para swimmer), Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (badminton), Vishesh Bharguvanshi (basketball), Ajay Sawant (tent pegging), Aditi Ashok (golf), Kale Sarika (kho kho), Divya Kakran (wrestling). (PTI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
