January 2, 2025: The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has announced the 2024 National Sports Awards, recognizing the outstanding achievements of Indian athletes. Among the prestigious honorees, Manu Bhaker, Gukesh Dommaraju, Harmanpreet Singh, and Praveen Kumar have been awarded the Khel Ratna, the highest sporting honor in India.
Manu Bhaker
- Bhaker, a double Olympic medalist, made history by becoming the first-ever woman shooter from India to win an Olympic medal. She secured third place in the women’s 10m air pistol event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and followed it up with a bronze in the mixed team 10m air pistol event alongside Sarabjot Singh, marking India’s first-ever shooting team medal.
Gukesh Dommaraju
- The 18-year-old chess prodigy, Gukesh, made waves in December 2024 by winning the FIDE World Chess Championship in Singapore. In a dramatic final game against China’s Ding Liren, Gukesh clinched the title with a 7.5-6.5 victory, becoming the youngest-ever World Chess Champion and India’s second after Viswanathan Anand.
Harmanpreet Singh
- As the captain of the Indian men’s hockey team, Harmanpreet led the team to a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. He had previously been part of the bronze-winning team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Harmanpreet has also been nominated for the FIH Player of the Year award.
Praveen Kumar
- The para-athlete Praveen Kumar bagged a gold medal in the Men’s High Jump T64 at the 2024 Paralympic Games, showcasing remarkable athleticism and resilience on the global stage.
Arjuna Awardees:
Several athletes were also honored with the Arjuna Award for their exceptional performances in 2024:
- Jarmanpreet Singh, Sanjay, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh (Indian Men’s Hockey Team)
- Salima Tete (Women’s Hockey Team Captain)
- Vantika Agrawal (Chess Grandmaster)
- Jyothi Yarraji (Athlete)
- Para-athletes Preeti Pal, Jeevanji Deepthi, Ajeet Singh, Sachin Sarjerao Khilari, Dharambir, Pranav Soorma, Hokato Sema, Simran, and Navdeep
- Swapnil Suresh Kusale, Sarabjot Singh (Olympic Medalists)
- Mona Agarwal and Rubina Francis (Para-Olympic Shooters)
The awardees will be conferred their honors at a special ceremony on January 17, 2025, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where President Droupadi Murmu will present the awards.
