Star India cricketer Rohit Sharma, wrestler Vinesh Phogat, women’s hockey captain Rani Rampal, paddler Manika Batra and Paralympian T Mariyappan will get the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.
Rohit Sharma will become 4th Indian cricketer to win the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award. (PTI Photo)
HIGHLIGHTS
- Rohit Sharma joins the ranks of star cricketers Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli
- Paralympic gold medalist Mariappan Thangavelu among athletes who will receive the honour
- Rani Rampal is the first female hockey player to get Khel Ratna award
India’s vice-captain and opening batsman Rohit Sharma is among the 5 athletes who will receive India’s highest sporting honour — the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award for 2020.
Along with Rohit Sharma, Asian Games gold medalist Vinesh Phogat, table tennis champion Manika Batra, India hockey women’s captain Rani Rampal and Paralympic gold medalist Mariappan Thangavelu will also get the Khel Ratna Award.
The decision comes after the National Sports Awards selection committee met on Tuesday for deciding the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna and other national sports awards. The committee, which includes Virender Sehwag and Sardar Singh, met at Sports Authority of India headquarters in New Delhi.
Rohit Sharma is only the 4th cricketer after Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli to be conferred with Khel Ratna Award. Tendulkar was the first Indian cricketer to bag the Khel Ratna Award when he did so in 1998. Dhoni received the sporting honour after leading India to the T20 World Cup in 2007 while Virat Kohli won the award along with weightlifter Mirabai Chanu in 2018.
Vinesh Phogat became the first woman wrestler to win an Asian Games gold medal in 2018 while star paddler Manika Batra had a remarkable year in 2018 wherein she won the Commonwealth Games gold medal and Asian Games bronze in women’s singles.
Paddler Manika had a successful 2018 and won CWG gold and Asian Games bronze. Mariyappan got the nod for his gold medal in the 2016 Rio Paralympics, in T42 high jump. Rani was a late inclusion and became only the third hockey player and first female hockey player to win the award.
Full list of Sports awards:
1. RAJIV GANDHI KHEL RATNA AWARD
1. Rohit Sharma (Cricket)
2. Mariyappan T. (Para-Athletics)
3. Manika Batra (Table Tennis)
4. Vinesh Phogat (Wrestling)
5. Rani Rampal (Hockey)
2. DRONACHARYA AWARD
A. Life- Time Category
1. Dharmendra Tiwary (Archery)
2. Purushotham Rai (Athletics)
3. Shiv Singh (Boxing)
4. Romesh Pathania (Hockey)
5. Krishan Kumar Hooda (Kabaddi)
6. Vijay Bhalchandra Munishwar (Para Powerlifting)
7. Naresh Kumar (Tennis)
8. Om Parkash Dahiya (Wrestling)