Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra and silver medal-winning wrestler Ravi Dahiya are among 11 athletes picked for the Khel Ratna award this year.
The other sportspersons who have been recommended for India's highest sporting honour, the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, include boxer Lovlina Borgohain who won a bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, seasoned hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh and woman cricket Test skipper Mithali Raj.
Sunil Chhetri also became the country's first footballer to be selected for the honour.
The announcement of the national sports awards was delayed in order to consider the performance of the para-athletes in the Tokyo Paralympics (August 24 to September 5).
Shooter Avani Lekhara and Manish Narwal, javelin thrower Sumit Antil and shuttlers Pramod Bhagat and Krishna Nagar, who all have won a gold each in the Tokyo Paralympics, completed the list of those recommended for the Khel Ratna.
Thirty-five athletes will also be honoured with the ArjunaAward, including all the members of the Olympic bronze-winning men’s hockey team who have previously not won the award, and all Paralympic medallists, other than the Khel Ratna awardees.
Cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, para TT player Bhavina Patel, para shuttler Suhas Yathiraj and high jumper Nishad Kumar are among those selected for the Arjuna award.
Previously known as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently renamed India's highest sporting honour after legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand following India's record show in hockey at Tokyo Olympics 2020.
Here's a list of all sportsperson recommended for Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Awards 2021:
Neeraj Chopra (Athletics)
Ravi Dahiya (Wrestling)
PR Sreejesh (Hockey)
Lovlina Borgohain (Boxing)
Sunil Chhetri (Football)
Mithali Raj (Cricket)
Pramod Bhagat (Badminton)
Sumit Antil (Javelin)
Avani Lekhara (Shooting)
Krishna Nagar (Badminton)
Manish Narwal (Shooting)
(With updates from PTI)
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