Manu Bhaker, D Gukesh, Harmanpreet Singh and Praveen Kumar will receive the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award on January 17, 2025.
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has announced the recipients of the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award for 2024, India’s highest sporting honor. The award ceremony is scheduled for January 17, 2025, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where the President of India will confer the honors.
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Here is the list of players who will receive the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award:
Khel Ratna Awardees
Manu Bhaker (Shooting): A double Olympic medalist, Bhaker secured bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol and the mixed team event at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
D Gukesh (Chess): D Gukesh recently became the youngest world chess champion at 18, achieving this milestone in December 2024.
Harmanpreet Singh (Hockey): As captain, he led the Indian men’s hockey team to a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with 10 goals.
Praveen Kumar (Para-Athletics): Clinched gold in the men’s high jump T64 category at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, setting an Asian record with a 2.08m jump.
In addition to the Khel Ratna, the ministry has announced 32 athletes for the Arjuna Award, including 17 para-athletes, recognizing their exceptional contributions to Indian sports.
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