Khel Ratna Award 2021: The National Sports Awards Committee has proposed the names of 11 players, including javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who won the gold medal for India in the Tokyo Olympics, for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award for the year 2021. These include five para athletes. Last year, 5 players were selected for the Khel Ratna Award. After the 2016 Rio Olympics, 4 players got this award. In this sense, this time the highest number of players have been selected for Khel Ratna in any one year.
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These 11 Names for Khel Ratna Award
1. Neeraj Chopra (Athletics)
2. Ravi Dahiya (Wrestling)
3. PR. Sreejesh (Hockey)
4. Lavalina Borgohain (Boxing)
5 Sunil Chhetri (Football)
6. Mithali Raj (Cricket)
7. Pramod Bhagat (Badminton)
8. Sumit Antil (Athletics)
9. Avni Lekhara (Shooting)
10 Krishna Nagar (Badminton)
11. Manish Narwal (Shooting)
His Name for Arjuna Award:
- Yogesh Kathuria
- Nishad Kumar
- Praveen Kumar
- Sharad Kumar
- Suhas LY
- Singhraj Adhana
- Bhavina Patel
- Harvinder Singh
- Shikhar Dhawan
- All players of men’s hockey team (except Sreejesh, he was nominated for Khel Ratna)
Late Announcement This Time
The sports awards ceremony used to be held on 29 August every year, but this year has been delayed. The government also wanted to include the performance of the players in the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in the selection of players. The Paralympic Games were held in Tokyo from 24 August to 5 September this year.
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Players Need to be Encouraged
Rana, the coach of the junior shooting team, said there is a need to encourage young players. In some states, sportspersons are given preference in government jobs. This gives encouragement to new players.
Questions Raised on Rajeev Mehta
Rana has also raised questions on the Secretary General of the Olympic Association, Rajeev Mehta. He said that Rajeev Mehta should give benefit to his state Uttarakhand but he is not doing so. The facilities that are being prepared for the national game should be kept for long term coaching so that we can work on selecting new players like national level. Coaching is a long term program in which the role of the player is more than that of the coach.
Recently the Name of the Award has Changed
Khel Ratna is the highest sports award in the country. Earlier it was named after former Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi. The Narendra Modi government recently changed its name to Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
Viswanathan Anand Became the First Khel Ratna
The Khel Ratna Award was started from 1991-92. Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand was given the first Khel Ratna Award. As of 2020, 43 players have been awarded this award.
