Manu Bhaker, D. Gukesh, Harmanpreet Singh to receive Khel Ratna; Centre announces National Sports Awards 2024

New Delhi, January 2: Double Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker, World Chess Champion D. Gukesh, Indian men's hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh, and Para-athlete Praveen Kumar have been honored with the prestigious Khel Ratna award, as announced by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS). The Ministry unveiled the list of winners for the National Sports Awards 2024 on Thursday.

Manu Bhaker made history by becoming the first-ever Indian woman shooter to win an Olympic medal, securing a bronze in the women’s individual 10m air pistol event at the Tokyo Olympics. She later teamed up with Sarabjot Singh to win another bronze in the 10m air pistol (mixed team) event, marking India’s first-ever shooting team medal at the Olympics.

Gukesh Dommaraju, who emerged as a trailblazer for Indian chess, achieved a significant milestone in 2024 by defeating China’s Ding Liren to become the FIDE World Chess Champion. The gripping final, tied at 6.5-6.5, culminating in a historic 7.5-6.5 victory for the 18-year-old, making him the youngest ever to hold the title and India's second chess world champion after Viswanathan Anand.

Harmanpreet Singh led the Indian men's hockey team to a historic bronze medal at the Paris Olympics 2024. Having already been part of the Tokyo 2020 squad that won bronze, Harmanpreet’s leadership has been pivotal to India’s success on the global stage. He has also been nominated for the prestigious FIH Player of the Year award.

Para-athlete Praveen Kumar clinched a gold medal in the Men’s High Jump T64 event at the 2024 Paralympic Games, further cementing his place as one of India’s most accomplished para-athletes.

The National Sports Awards also saw several other notable names being honored. Indian men’s hockey team members Jarmanpreet Singh, Sanjay, Abhishek, and Sukhjeet Singh, along with women’s hockey captain Salima Tete, received the Arjuna Award. Chess Grandmaster Vantika Agrawal and sprinter Jyothi Yarraji were also conferred with the prestigious Arjuna Award.

In addition, a number of para-athletes, including Preeti Pal, Jeevanji Deepthi, Ajeet Singh, Sachin Sarjerao Khilari, Dharambir, Pranav Soorma, Hokato Sema, Simran, and Navdeep, have been awarded the Arjuna Award. Olympic medalists Swapnil Suresh Kusale and Sarabjot Singh, as well as Para-Olympic shooters Mona Agarwal and Rubina Francis, were also among the recipients.

In the lifetime achievement category, former Dempo FC and East Bengal head coach Armando Agnelo Colaco has been honored with the Dronacharya Award.

The awardees will receive their accolades from President Droupadi Murmu at a special ceremony to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 17, 2025.