New Delhi: The Government of India has announced the recipients of the National Sports Awards for 2024, with several distinguished athletes and coaches set to be honored for their outstanding contributions to sports.
World Chess Champion D Gukesh, double medalist at the Paris Olympics Manu Bhaker, Indian Hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh, and gold medalist at the Paris Paralympics Praveen Kumar will be presented with the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, the country’s highest sports honor.
A total of 32 sportspersons will receive the Arjuna Award, recognizing their exceptional achievements in various sports. Among the recipients are athletes Jyothi Yarraji and Annu Rani, boxers Nitu and Saweety, chess player Vantika Agrawal, and hockey players Salima Tete, Abhishek, Sanjay, Jarmanpreet Singh, and Sukhjeet Singh. In the para-sports category, Para-Archer Rakesh Kumar and para-athletes Preeti Pal, Jeevanji Deepthi, Ajeet Singh, and Sachin Khilari will also be honored with the Arjuna Award.
Veteran athletes Sucha Singh and Murlikant Petkar, a legendary para-swimmer, will receive the Arjuna Award (Lifetime) for their decades of contributions to sports.
Coaches who have made significant impacts on their respective sports will also be recognized with the Dronacharya Award. This year’s recipients include Subhash Rana (para-shooting coach), Deepali Deshpande (shooting coach), Sandeep Sangwan (hockey coach), S. Muralidharan (badminton coach), and Armando Agnelo Colaco (football coach).
The Physical Education Foundation of India will be honored with the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar for its outstanding work in promoting sports across the nation.
In addition, Chandigarh University, Lovely Professional University, and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, will be awarded the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy for their exceptional contributions to the development of sports.
The awards will be conferred by President Droupadi Murmu at a special ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 17, 2025.
The selection committee for the awards, led by former Supreme Court Judge Justice (Retd.) V. Ramasubramanian, included eminent sportspersons, sports journalists, and sports administrators.
