Manu Bhaker, D Gukesh Honored With Khel Ratna By President Droupadi Murmu

NEW DELHI: The National Sports Awards ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday was a big event, with President Droupadi Murmu handing out the top awards. While double Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker and 18-year-old chess champion D Gukesh were in the spotlight, the para-athletes got the loudest applause.

Bhaker, who made history by becoming India's first athlete to win two medals in a single Olympics, was awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, alongside Gukesh, men’s hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh, and Paralympic gold medalist high jumper Praveen Kumar.

At 22, Bhaker clinched bronze in both the 10m air pistol individual and mixed team events at the Tokyo Olympics last year.

Gukesh, at just 18, was crowned the youngest-ever chess world champion after defeating China’s Ding Liren last month. He also played a pivotal role in India’s gold medal victory at the Chess Olympiad in September.

In addition, 32 athletes were honored with the Arjuna Award, including a record 17 para-athletes, highlighting the growing recognition of their achievements in Indian sports.

The athletes chosen for the Arjuna award included wrestler Aman Sehrawat, shooters Swapnil Kusale and Sarabjot Singh (Bhaker's partner in the 10m air pistol mixed competition at the Olympics), and men's hockey players Jarmanpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Sanjay, and Abhishek.

President Murmu defied tradition on several occasions to receive wheelchair-bound athletes, including Pranav Soorma, who received the Arjuna for his Paralympic silver medal in club throw.

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