India’s highest sporting honour, the “Major Dhyan Chand Khel Award” (formerly known as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratan Award), is named for the legendary field hockey player Major Dhyan Chand (1905–1979). Established in 1991–1992, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, bestows the award each year.
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Award:
The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award for excellence in Sports and games at an international level, i.e., Olympic, Asian, Commonwealth, World Games, Championships, World Cup, and equivalent recognized international tournaments, shall be given to the sportsperson who has demonstrated the most remarkable and outstanding performance in the field of sports over the four years immediately preceding the year during which the award is to be given. By 2022, the prize will come with a cash prize of ₹25,000,000, a certificate, and a medallion.
The award’s purpose is to honour the athlete who has demonstrated the greatest and most exceptional achievement in sports over the four years leading up to the year it will be presented. The accomplishments of the athletes up until the end of the Olympic, Commonwealth, and Asian Games will also be taken into consideration.
Benefits of the award:
The following will be included in the award:
- (i) A cash payment of ₹25,000,000 that is free from wealth tax and income tax in the year it is made.
- The winners will receive the Award during the presentation ceremony, which will take place at a location on a day decided by the government.
- (ii) A certificate of achievement for every athlete.
- (iii) A medal for every athlete.
The current update:
Up to twelve Indian athletes received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award at the National Sports Award, which took place in New Delhi on November 13. Manpreet Singh, the captain of the Indian men’s hockey team that won bronze at the Olympics, was added to the list of Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna awardees on Tuesday. With this addition, there are an unprecedented 12 winners this year. The ceremony happened on November 13 at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Although Manpreet was first suggested for the Arjuna award, he was joined by seasoned goalie PR Sreejesh as the second hockey player to receive the highest sporting honour. This year’s other notable Khel Ratna winners are wrestler Ravi Dahiya, who won silver in the Olympics, and Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra.
The majority of India’s Paralympic medal winners, cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, and Mithali Raj are among the 35 recipients of the Arjuna Award. “The awardees will receive their awards from the President of India at a specially organized function at the Darbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan on 13th November 2021 (Saturday) at 1630 hrs,” the Ministry of Sports stated.
Because of the Covid-19 pandemic last year, it was conducted virtually. A sportsperson receives the Khel Ratna award in recognition of their extraordinary and noteworthy accomplishments during the preceding four years. The record-breaking Olympic and Paralympic performances meant that a large number of awards were anticipated this year.
Indian Sports persons honoured with the medal:
In the nation’s greatest-ever performance at the two sporting extravaganzas, India won seven medals at the Olympics and collected 19 medals overall, including five gold, eight silver, and six bronze at the Paralympics. Ten coaches in all were chosen to receive Dronacharya awards.
T. P. Ouseph (athletics), Sarkar Talwar (cricket), Sarpal Singh (hockey), Ashan Kumar (kabaddi), and Tapan Kumar Panigrahi (swimming) were selected for the lifetime achievement category.
Radhakrishnan Nair P (Athletics), Sandhya Gurung (Boxing), Pritam Siwach (Hockey), Jai Prakash Nautiyal (Para Shooting), and Subramanian Raman (Table Tennis) were the winners in the regular Dronacharya category.
In addition to serving as the national camp’s assistant coach, Gurung is the personal coach of Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain, who will win the Khel Ratna title less than a year after winning the Arjuna award.
Sajjan Singh, a wrestler, was chosen for the Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement, alongside boxer Lekha K.C., a former world and Asian champion, chess player Abhijeet Kunte, hockey player Davinder Singh Garcha, and kabaddi player Vikas Kumar.
Judge (Retd.) Mukundakam Sharma, a former Supreme Court judge, chaired this year’s awards selection committee, which also included former world champion boxer L Sarita Devi, former cricketer Venkatesh Prasad, and three-time Paralympic medallist Devendra Jhajharia.
The Awardees of the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Award:
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award: Neeraj Chopra (Athletics), Ravi Kumar(Wrestling), Lovlina Borgohain (Boxing), P.R Sreejesh (Hockey), Avani Lekhara (Para Shooting), Sumit Antil (Para Athletics), Pramod Bhagat (Para Badminton), Krishna Nagar (Para Badminton), Manish Narwal (Para Shooting), Mithali Raj (Cricket), Sunil Chhetri (Football), Manpreet Singh (Hockey).
Arjuna Awards: Arpinder Singh (Athletics), Simranjit Kaur (Boxing), Shikhar Dhawan (Cricket), CA Bhavani Devi (Fencing), Monika (Hockey), Vandana Katariya (Hockey), Sandeep Narwal (Kabaddi), Himani Uttam Parab (Mallakhamb), Abhishek Verma (Shooting), Ankita Raina (Tennis), Deepak Punia (Wrestling), Dilpreet Singh (Hockey), Harman Preet Singh (Hockey), Rupinder Pal Singh (Hockey), Surender Kumar (Hockey), Amit Rohidas (Hockey), Birendra Lakra (Hockey), Sumit (Hockey), Nilakanta Sharma (Hockey), Hardik Singh (Hockey), Vivek Sagar Prasad (Hockey), Gurjant Singh (Hockey), Mandeep Singh (Hockey), Shamsher Singh (Hockey), Lalit Kumar Upadhyay (Hockey), Varun Kumar (Hockey), Simranjeet Singh (Hockey), Yogesh Kathuniya (Para Athletics) Nishad Kumar (Para Athletics), Praveen Kumar(Para Athletics), Suhash Yathiraj (Para Badminton) Singhraj Adhana (Para Shooting), Bhavina Patel (Para Table Tennis), Harvinder Singh (Para Archery) and Sharad Kumar (Para Athletics).
Candidate’s eligibility:
- The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award for excellence in Sports and games at the international level, i.e., Olympic, Asian, Commonwealth, World Games, Championships, World Cup, and equivalent recognized international tournaments, shall be given to the sportsperson who has demonstrated the most remarkable and outstanding performance in the field of sports during the four years immediately preceding the year during which the award is to be given.
- The accomplishments of athletes competing in these and other aforementioned competitions up until the end of the Olympic, Commonwealth, or Asian Games, as applicable, will also be taken into consideration during the years when these events are held.
- Athletes who have been sanctioned or are under investigation by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for using drugs or other substances prohibited by the organization, based on a sample gathered by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) or any other WADA-authorized agency and tested by the National Dope Testing Laboratory or any other WADA-accredited laboratory, will not be eligible to receive the Award.
So, this was all about the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Award. Also read, The first woman skydiver in India – Lance Naik Manju
