Tribune: Sania gets Khel Ratna Arjuna award for 12 others

Tennis star Sania Mirza was today conferred with the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna — the country’s highest sporting honour — while shooting sensation Jitu Rai was among the Arjuna Award recipients in a glittering ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

President Pranab Mukherjee presented the award to Sania, clad in a maroon saree and blue blazer, amid thunderous applause at the Darbar hall where Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal was among the attendees.

Sania became the second tennis player to receive the country’s highest sporting honour after Leander Paes on a day when the Sports Ministry was fighting a court case that raised questions against its process of selecting the awardees.

The President also gave away the Arjuna Awards even as the line-up was low on star power in the absence of cricketer Rohit Sharma, who missed the ceremony alongside boxer Mandeep Jangra and quarter-miler MR Poovamma. In all, the Justice (retd.) VK Bali-led panel had recommended 17 names for the Arjuna. Sania, who attracted the loudest applause from the esteemed gathering, received a medal, certificate and cash prize of Rs. 7.5 lakh.

The Arjuna awardees received statuettes, certificates and award money of Rs 5 lakh. The ceremony, however, was shrouded in controversy with the ignored athletes and coaches not accepting the recommendations of the Ministry-appointed panel. Nonetheless, the ceremony provided pride and motivation for athletes who were eventually bestowed with the honour. — PTI

AWARDS

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna: Sania Mirza

Arjuna: PR Sreejesh (hockey), Dipa Karmakar (gymnastics), Jitu Rai (shooting), Sandeep Kumar (archery), Mandeep Jangra (boxing), Babita (wrestling), Bajrang (wrestling), Rohit Sharma (cricket), K Srikanth (badminton), Swarn Singh Virk (rowing), Satish Sivalingam (weightlifting), Santhoi Devi (wushu), Sharath Gaekwad (para-sailing), M R Poovamma (athletics), Manjeet Chhillar (kabaddi), Abhilasha Mhatre (kabaddi), Anup Kumar Yama (rollerskating).

Droncharya awardees

Naval Singh (athletics-para-sports), Anoop Singh (wrestling), Harbans Singh (athletics-lifetime), Swatantar Raj Singh (boxing- lifetime), Nihar Ameen (swimming-lifetime)

Dhyan Chand

Romeo James (hockey), Shiv Prakash Mishra (tennis), T.P.P. Nair (volleyball).