Padma Bhushan: Sania Mirza, Saina Nehwal, Deepika Kumari to be conferred with India's third highest civilian award

New Delhi: With several world titles and awards already in their kitty, Saina Nehwal, Sania Mirza and Deepika Kumari are now on the verge of adding another feather to their respective caps.

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The trio will be conferred with the Padman Bhushan awards for 2016 by the government of India, it was confirmed on Monday.

Former US Ambassador to India Robert D Blackwill, sportspersons Saina Nehwal and Sania Mirza and Indu Jain of Bennett, Coleman & Co get Padm — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 25, 2016

Saina has already been a recipient of Arjuna Award (2009), Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (2009–2010) and Padma Shri (2010).

After a strong start to 2015, injuries towards the end of the year played a key role in Saina's sudden loss of form.

However, the Hyderabad girl is training hard in Bangalore with coach Vimal Kumar to regain her form and fitness.

Saina is one of India's biggest hopes of winning a medal at the Rio Olympics later in the year.

In 2012, she won a bronze at the London 2012 Olympics.

Sania too has won the Arjuna Award (2004), Padma Shri (2006) and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (2015).

Sania, along with partner Martina Hingis, is currently on a record-breaking streak in women's doubles tennis.

The duo has won 33 matches on the trot and are on course to break the all-time record of 44 wins.

The Indo-Swiss has so far put on a sterling display in 2016 and is a clear favorite to win the year's first major in Melbourne.