The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the list of athletes and sports persons to be conferred the different National Sports Awards.
The National Sports Awards are given every year to sports persons who have shown consistent outstanding performance. The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, the highest honour in sports, is given for the spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over a period of four years. Arjuna Award is given for consistent outstanding performance for four years, Dronacharya Award is given for coaches for producing medal winners at prestigious International sports events.
This year, 5 have been awarded the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award – Paralympic gold winner Mariyappan Thangavelu, TT player Manika Batra, cricketer Rohit Sharma, wrestler Vinesh Phogat and women’s hockey team captain Rani Rampal.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami conveyed his best wishes to Mariyappan Thangavelu.
நமது மண்ணின் மைந்தனுக்கு வாழ்த்துக்கள்! #MariyappanThangavelu pic.twitter.com/sJFas6faph
— Edappadi K Palaniswami (@CMOTamilNadu) August 21, 2020
27 athletes and sports persons from different sports that includes Ishant Sharma for cricket have won the Arjuna Award. 15 are to be conferred the Dhyan Chand Award given for lifetime contribution in sports.
This is the first time that 5 sportsperson will be receiving the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award and 27 athletes will be conferred with Arjuna Award.
It will also mark another first as the ceremony will be held virtually on August 29 instead of Rashtrapathi Bhavan, in view of the pandemic.