Hardik will get the biggest honor of sports (Photo-PTI)
National Sports Awards List: The selection committee has decided the name for the Khel Ratna Award. Hockey captain Hardik Singh has been recommended for Khel Ratna. The surprising thing is that no cricketer has been selected for the Arjuna Award. Let us tell you that the names of a total of 24 players have been selected for the Arjun Award. Sources said that for the first time, five years after getting formal recognition from the Sports Ministry, Yogasan player Aarti Pal’s name has also been given for the Arjuna Award. Aarti is national and Asian champion. Yogasana will be included as a demonstration sport in the Asian Games 2026.
Hardik did wonders in Tokyo Olympics
Midfielder of Indian men’s hockey team Hardik Singh Had performed amazingly for the team that won bronze medals in Tokyo Olympics 2021 and Paris Olympics 2024. He was also included in the team that won gold in the Asia Cup this year. 19 year old Divya Deshmukh has also been recommended for Arjuna Award, she is a world champion player. The names of chess players Vidit Gujarati and Tejaswin Shankar, who won silver medals in the Asian Games 2023 and also finished second in the Asian Championship this year, have also been recommended.
The surprising thing is that not a single cricketer is included in this list. Fast bowler Mohammed Shami was the last cricketer to win the Arjuna Award, receiving the honor in 2023. Let us tell you that the country’s highest sports honor Khel Ratna comes with a citation, medal and Rs 25 lakh, while the Arjuna Award comes with Rs 15 lakh.
Recommendation of these players for national sports awards
Major Dhyanchand Khel Ratna: Hardik Singh (hockey)
Arjuna Award: Tejaswin Shankar (Athletics), Priyanka (Athletics), Narendra (Boxing), Vidit Gujarati (Chess), Divya Deshmukh (Chess), Dhanush Srikanth (Deaf Shooting), Pranati Nayak (Gymnastics), Rajkumar Pal (Hockey), Surjeet (Kabaddi), Nirmala Bhati (Khokho), Rudranksh Khandelwal (Para Shooting), Ekta Bhayan (Para Athletics), Padmanabh Singh (Polo), Arvind Singh (Sailing), Akhil Sheoran (Shooting), Mehuli Ghosh (Shooting), Sutirtha Mukherjee (Table Tennis), Sonam Malik (Wrestling), Aarti (Yoga), Trisa Jolly (Badminton), Gayatri Gopichand (Badminton), Lalremsiami (Hockey), Mohammad Afzal (Athletics) and Pooja (Kabaddi).