Khel Ratna awards announced; Manu Bhaker, Gukesh, Harmanpreet, Praveen Kumar to be honoured

Paris Olympics double bronze medallist Manu Bhaker will be honoured with the Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award, the Union sports ministry announced today.

Chess world champion D. Gukesh, hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh and para-athlete Praveen Kumar, too, will be honoured with the prestigious award.

The announcement comes after much drama, as Bhaker's name did not feature in the initial list of nominations for the Khel Ratna award. It sparked criticism from all quarters, with Bhaker's father Ramkishan lashing out at the awards selection committee. The sports ministry defended itself saying that she had not applied for the award, and hence, was not considered. Bhaker, however, later admitted that there might have been a lapse on her part while filing the nomination.

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The 22-year-old won the bronze in the 10m air pistol individual and 10m air pistol mixed team (with Sarabjot Singh) events in Paris. She became the first Indian female athlete to win two medals in a single edition of the Olympics.

THE WEEK honoured her with the Woman of the Year award for 2024.

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World chess champion D. Gukesh, men's hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh and Paralympic gold-winning high jumper Praveen Kumar are the other Khel Ratna award winners.

Gukesh won the FIDE world championship, beating defending champion Ding Liren of China, and became the youngest world champion at 18. He also won one team and two individual gold medals at the 45th Chess Olympiad earlier last year, as well as a bronze team medal. Gukesh was also the youngest to win the Candidates Tournament. He passed the FIDE rating of 2750 at 17, becoming the youngest to do so.

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While Harmanpreet Singh led the Indian men's hockey team to its second consecutive bronze medal in the Paris Olympics, para high-jumper Praveen Kumar, was crowned the T64 champion in the Paralympics.

The four athletes will receive their awards from President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 17.