Manu Bhaker, D Gukesh receive Khel Ratna award from President Murmu

You are currently viewing Manu Bhaker, D Gukesh receive Khel Ratna award from President Murmu

Double Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker and world chess champion D. Gukesh were presented with the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna awards by President Droupadi Murmu on Friday, January 17. The ceremony, held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, saw the athletes receive a warm reception for their remarkable achievements.

Also honored were Harmanpreet Singh, captain of the Indian men’s hockey team, and Praveen Kumar, a gold medalist in the high jump at the Paris Paralympics. They were presented with the award by the President in recognition of their outstanding contributions to Indian sports.

Manu Bhaker and D. Gukesh were two of the four athletes who received India’s highest sporting honor this year. Manu made history at the Paris Olympics, securing two bronze medals, becoming the first athlete from independent India to win multiple individual medals in a single Olympic edition. After facing setbacks at previous Olympic Games, her remarkable comeback cemented her place in sporting history.

D. Gukesh, at 19, became the youngest man to win the World Chess Championship, defeating Ding Liren in Singapore. This victory made him only the second Indian, after Viswanathan Anand, to claim the prestigious classical chess title.

In addition, 32 athletes were awarded the Arjuna Award, India’s second-highest sporting honor. This year marked a significant moment as para-athletes outnumbered able-bodied athletes in recognition of their exceptional performances at the Paris Paralympics, where India earned 29 medals, including seven golds, finishing 18th in the medal table.

Olympic medalists Sarabjot Singh and Swapnil Kusale were also recipients of the Arjuna Award.

The journey to National Sports Day had its challenges, as Manu Bhaker’s name was initially omitted from a preliminary list of nominees. Her coach, Jaspal Rana, and her father, Ram Kishan Bhaker, voiced their frustration over this oversight, suggesting that Manu, after her historic Olympic performances, deserved recognition. However, Manu addressed the issue calmly, stating that any oversight in her nomination was likely due to a lapse during the application process. She clarified on Instagram that her goal was never to seek awards, but to bring honor to her country.

Leave a Reply