New Delhi: Based on the recommendations of the Selection Committee consisting of former Olympian, Arjuna Awardees, Dronacharya Awardees, Dhyan Chand Awardees, the Sports Ministry has decided to confer the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna 2017 to Para Athlete Devendra Jhajharia and celebrated former hockey captain Sardar Singh.
Jhajharia, the 2017 Mahindra Scorpio Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) winner, will become the first paralympian to be conferred with the India’s highest sporting honour along with Sardar Singh.
Javelin thrower Jhajharia, the first Indian to win two Paralympic gold medals, was the first choice of the awards selection committee headed by Justice (Retd) C K Thakkar. The committee had also picked 31-year-old midfielder Sardar as its second nominee for the top honour and has suggested that both Jhajharia and Sardar be considered for the award jointly.
A recipient of the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of India in 2015, Sardar has two Asian Games medals — gold in 2014 Incheon and bronze in 2010 Guangzhou. He also has two Commonwealth Games silver medals and was named in the International Hockey Federation’s All-Star team twice in 2010, 2011.
Apart from the Khel Ratna, the ministry also released list of seven Dronacharya awardees for coaches and 17 Arjuna awardees featuring cricketers Harmanpreet Kaur, Cheteshwar Pujara, para-athletes Mariyappan, Varun Singh Bhati and Hockey player SV Suni.
The Dhyan Chand Award for life time contribution to sports development will be awarded to Bhupender Singh (Athletics), Syed Shahid Hakim (Football) and Sumarai Tete (Hockey)
The awardees will receive their awards from the President of India at a specially organized function at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on August 29, 2017.
Apart from a medal and a citation, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awardee will receive a cash prize of Rs. 7.5 lakh. Arjuna, Dronacharya and Dhyan Chand Awardees will received statuettes, certificates and cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh each.
(Agencies)
