The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on Thursday named the recipients of the National Sports Awards 2024 , with several athletes being conferred with the prestigious Khel Ratna Award for their outstanding achievements.
Manu Bhaker, a two-time Olympic medalist, etched her name in history as the first Indian woman shooter to win an Olympic medal. She claimed bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol event and teamed up with Sarabjot Singh to secure another bronze in the 10m air pistol mixed team event, marking India’s maiden shooting team medal at the Olympics.
Gukesh Dommaraju was a standout performer in Indian sports in 2024. In December, he defeated China’s Ding Liren in the decisive 14th game of the FIDE World Chess Championship in Singapore. Gukesh’s victory, with a final score of 7.5-6.5, not only crowned him the youngest world chess champion at 18 but also made him the second Indian to achieve this feat after Viswanathan Anand.
Para-athlete Praveen Kumar captured gold in the Men’s High Jump T64 event at the 2024 Paralympics. Meanwhile, Harmanpreet Singh led the Indian men’s hockey team to a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. Having previously been part of the bronze-winning team at the Tokyo Olympics, Harmanpreet is also nominated for the FIH Player of the Year award.
The Arjuna Award, which recognizes exceptional contributions to sports, was awarded to several athletes. Honorees included Indian men’s hockey players Jarmanpreet Singh, Sanjay, Abhishek, and Sukhjeet Singh, as well as women’s hockey team captain Salima Tete. Chess grandmaster Vantika Agrawal and sprinter Jyothi Yarraji were also recognized.
A host of para-athletes were celebrated with Arjuna Awards for their accomplishments, including Preeti Pal, Jeevanji Deepthi, Ajeet Singh, Sachin Sarjerao Khilari, Dharambir, Pranav Soorma, Hokato Sema, Simran, and Navdeep. Additionally, Olympic medalists Swapnil Suresh Kusale and Sarabjot Singh, along with para-shooters Mona Agarwal and Rubina Francis, were among the awardees.
The Dronacharya Award for lifetime achievement was bestowed upon former Dempo FC and East Bengal head coach Armando Agnelo Colaco for his contributions to Indian football.
The awards will be presented by President Droupadi Murmu in a special ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 17, 2025.
