PV Sindhu, Sakshi Malik, Dipa Karmakar, Jitu Rai conferred with Khel Ratna award

New Delhi: After a brilliant show at Rio Olympics 2016, PV Sindhu, Sakshi Malik, Dipa Karmakar along with ace shooter Jitu Rai were conferred with the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award today.

Dhyan Chand Awards:

01: 04 pm - Rajendra Pralhad Shelke (rowing) gets Dhyan Chand award.

01: 03 pm - Sylvanus Dung Dung (hockey) gets Dhyan Chand award.

01: 02 pm - Satti Geetha (athletics) gets Dhyan Chand award.

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Arjuna awards

01: 00 pm - Virender Singh (wrestling, deaf) receives Arjuna Award.

01: 00 pm - Sandeep Singh Mann (para-athletics) receives Arjuna Award.

12:58 pm – Vinesh Phogat (wrestling) gets Arjuna award. She was looking extremely good in Rio but was unfortunately ruled out of the tournament due to injury.

12:56 pm - Soumyajit Ghosh (table tennis) gets Arjuna Award for his achievements in the sport.

12: 56 pm - Apurvi Chandela (shooting) gets Arjuna Award

12: 55 pm - Gurpreet Singh (shooting) gets Arjuna award

12: 54 pm - VR Raghunath (hockey) - Veteran member of the Indian men's hockey team gets Arjuna award.

12: 53 pm - Rani (hockey) Veteran member of the Indian women's hockey team gets Arjuna award.

12: 52 pm - Subrata Paul (football) - ace Indian football player gets Arjuna Award.

12: 51 pm - Shiva Thapa (boxing). India's star boxer gets Arjuna Award in 2016.

12:50 pm - Sourav Kothari (snooker & billiards) gets Arjuna Award in 2016.​

12:49 pm - Lalita Babar (athletics) gets her Arjuna Award. Lalita was one of the women athletes who made an impact in Rio 2016.

12:48 pm - Rajat Chauhan (archery) receives Arjuna Award.

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Dronacharya Awards:

12: 47 pm - Mahavir Singh (wrestling) has been the coach of Phogat sisters. He gets Dronacharya award.

12: 46 pm - S Pradeep Kumar (swimming) receives Dronacharya award.

12: 46 pm - Bisheshwar Nandi receives Dronacharya award.

12: 45 pm - Raj Kumar Sharma, who is Virat Kohli's coach, received Dronacharya award.

12: 44 pm - Sagar Mal Dhayal (boxing) received Dronacharya award.

12: 43 pm - Nagapuri Ramesh received Dronacharya award.

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Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna awards:

12: 42 pm - Sakshi Malik, who became the first Indian wrestler to win a medal at Olympics, collected her Khel Ratna award.

12: 41 pm - Jitu Rai receives her Khel Ratna award.

12: 40 - Dipa Karmakar, who won millions of hearts for her superb show at Rio, has been conferred with Khel Ratna

12: 39 pm - PV Sindhu just received the Khel Ratna award.

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The awardees will receive their awards from the President of India at a specially organised function at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

While PV Sindhu created history by becoming the first Indian shuttler to bag a silver medal at the biggest sporting spectacle, Sakshi too made the country extremely proud by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to clinch a medal at the mega event.

Dipa did not return with a medal, but she became a household name in the country overnight as a result of her gutsy show.

Besides, the Ministry also selected 15 athletes for this year’s Arjuna Award. The notable names in the list are boxer Shiva Thapa, long distance runner Lalita Babar, cricketer Ajinkya Rahane, hockey players VR Raghunath and Rani Rampal among others.

This year’s Dronacharya Award has been conferred upon six coaches, the most notable among being Dipa’s coach Bishweshwar Nandi and India Test team captain Virat Kohli’s mentor Raj Kumar Sharma.

Besides Nandi, others who will honoured with the Dhronacharya Award are Nagapuri Ramesh (athletics), Sagar Mal Dhayal (boxing), Pradeep Kumar (swimming, lifetime) and Mahabir Singh (wrestling, lifetime).

The Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award will be given to Satti Geetha (athletics), Sylvanus Dung Dung (hockey) and Rajendra Pralhad Shelke (rowing).

Besides, the Punjabi University of Patiala will be awarded the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy 2015-16.

The National Sports Awards are given every year to recognise and reward excellence in sports.

The Khel Ratna Award is given for spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over a period of four years. Apart from a medal and a citation, the Khel Ratna Awardee will receive a cash prize of Rs 7.5 lakh.

The Arjuna Award is given for consistent performance over four years, while the Dronacharya Award is given to coaches for producing medal winners at prestigious international sports events and the Dhyan Chand Award for lifetime contribution to sports development.

Arjuna, Dronacharya and Dhyan Chand Awardees will receive statuettes, certificates and cash prize of Rs 5 lakh each.

The Recipients of Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar will be given trophies and certificates. Overall top performing university in inter-university tournaments will be given MAKA Trophy, award money of Rs 10 lakh and certificates.

The awardees were selected from a large number of nominations by a selection committee consisting of former Olympians, Arjuna Awardees, Dronacharya Awardees, Dhyan Chand Awardees, sports journalists, experts, commentators and sports administrators.

The selection committee for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award and Arjuna Awards was headed by Justice SK Agarwal, Retired Delhi High Court Judge.

The selection committee for Dronacharya Awards and Dhyan Chand Awards was headed by MC Mary Kom, while selection panel for Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar was headed by Rajiv Yadav, Secretary (Sports).

The awardees will receive their awards from the President of India at a specially organised function at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on August 29, 2016.

AWARDS

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ranta 2016:

PV Sindhu (badminton)

Dipa Karmakar (gymnastics)

Jitu Rai (shooting)

Sakshi Malik (wrestling)

Dronacharya Awards 2016:

Nagapuri Ramesh (athletics), Sagar Mal Dhayal (boxing), Raj Kumar Sharma (cricket), Bishweshwar Nandi (gymnastics), S Pradeep Kumar (swimming, lifetime) and Mahabir Singh (wrestling, lifetime).

Arjuna Awards 2016:

Rajat Chauhan (archery), Lalita Babar (athletics), Sourav Kothari (billiards and snooker), Shiva Thapa (boxing), Ajinkya Rahane (cricket), Subrata Paul (football), Rani (hockey), VR Raghunath (hockey), Gurpreet Singh (shooting), Apurvi Chandela (shooting), Soumyajit Ghosh (table tennis), Vinesh (wrestling), Amit Kumar (wrestling), Sandeep Singh Mann (para-athletics), Virender Singh (wrestling, deaf).

Dhyan Chand Award:

Satti Geetha (athletics), Sylvanus Dung Dung (hockey), Rajendra Pralhad Shelke (rowing).

Rashtriya Khel Protsahana Purushkar, 2016:

Identification and Nurturing of Budding and Young Talent: Hockey Citizen Group, Dadar Parsee Zorostrian cricket club, Usha School of Athletics, STAIRS.

Encouragement to sports through corporate social responsibility: India Infrastructure Finance Corporate Limited.

Employment to sportspersons and other welfare measures: Reserve Bank of India.

Sports for Development: Subroto Mukherjee Sports Education Society.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy 2015-16: Punjabi University, Patiala.

(With Agency inputs)