National Sports Award 2024, The Sports Ministry of India announced the 2024 National Sports Awards, which will honor the country’s most outstanding players and coaches for their exceptional contributions. It was announced on Thursday that Olympic double medal winning shooter Manu Bhaker, World Chess champion D Gukesh, Indian hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh, and para athlete Praveen Kumar will be awarded the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. In this year’s awards, 34 players will receive the Arjuna Award, including two for lifetime achievement. Also, five coaches will receive the Dronacharya Award, including two for lifetime achievement. These awards will be presented at a grand ceremony to be organized at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 17.
Manu Bhaker: Two-time medalist of Paris Olympics
Manu Bhaker, who won two medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, has been selected for this year’s Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. Manu gave two medals to India by finishing third in 10 meter air pistol individual category and mixed doubles. Due to his brilliant performance, India won a total of 6 medals in the Paris Olympics, out of which Manu had two medals. This achievement proved to be a milestone in the history of Indian sports.
D Gukesh: Shahenshah of Chess
India’s young Grandmaster D Gukesh created a new history by winning the World Chess Championship title in Singapore at the age of 18. He defeated the defending champion Ding Liren of China 7.5–6.5 and became the youngest player to be crowned World Chess Champion. Earlier in 1985, Garry Kasparov of Russia had won this title at the age of 22, but Gukesh broke this record at the young age of 18. His great achievement will now be honored as Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
Harmanpreet Singh: Pride of the Indian hockey team
Indian hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh has been honored for his leadership abilities and exceptional performance. He made India proud by winning the bronze medal in Paris Olympics 2024 and gold medal in Asian Games 2022. Apart from this, Harmanpreet has also won the title of ‘Player of the Year’ at the FIH Awards three times. Under his captaincy, the Indian hockey team has scaled new heights and his award is certainly another important moment for Indian sports.
Praveen Kumar: Gold medalist in Paralympics
Praveen Kumar, who won the gold medal with an Asian record in men’s high jump at the Paris Paralympics 2024, is receiving the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award at this year’s National Sports Awards. Praveen gave the best performance of his career by clearing the height of 2.08 meters and registered his name in history. After winning the silver medal in the Tokyo Paralympics, he won this gold medal in the Paris Paralympics, which is a symbol of his tireless work and commitment.
National Sports Awards: A symbol of pride for India
The National Sports Awards are presented to honor excellence in the field of sports in India. These awards are given to players, coaches, and organizations for their exceptional contributions and efforts in the development of Indian sports. The six major awards include the Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award, Dronacharya Award, Dhyan Chand Award, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy (Maka Trophy), and Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Award. Additionally, the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award has also been given since 2004, which honors individuals who have contributed to adventure sports.
Arjuna Award Winners 2023
Last year’s Arjuna Awards saw 26 sportspersons honoured, including cricketer Mohammed Shami. Apart from this, 5 coaches received the Dronacharya Award and star badminton pair Satwik Sairaj and Chirag Shetty were awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. The purpose of these awards is to recognize and honor the efforts and hard work of players and coaches.
Awards ceremony: January 17 at Rashtrapati Bhavan
After the announcement of this year’s awards, now all eyes are on the awards ceremony to be held on January 17. This ceremony to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan will be an important occasion for the Indian sports world, in which players and coaches will be honored for their outstanding contribution. This day will be a proud moment not only for the award winners, but for the entire country, as India has set new records in the field of sports.
The growing importance of sports in India and properly honoring the contributions of players is essential for the future of the country. These awards motivate the players and they become more involved in their hard work. This time the National Sports Award 2024 will prove to show a new direction for Indian sports.
