India’s 'Khel Ratna' Award to be Presented to First Woman Manu Bhaker and World Chess Champion D Gukesh in 78-Year History

India’s 'Khel Ratna' Award to be Presented to First Woman Manu Bhaker and World Chess Champion D Gukesh in 78-Year History

Delhi: The Ministry of Sports has confirmed that the prestigious ‘Khel Ratna’ award, India's highest sports honor, will be awarded this year to Manu Bhaker, D Gukesh, Indian men’s hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh, and Paralympic gold medalist high jumper Praveen Kumar.

In addition to Bhaker and Gukesh, Harmanpreet Singh, the captain of the Indian men’s hockey team, and Praveen Kumar, a Paralympic gold medalist, have also been nominated for the 'Khel Ratna' award.

The controversy surrounding Manu Bhaker’s nomination for the Khel Ratna award was resolved on Wednesday. Bhaker, who made history by winning two bronze medals in three events at the Paris Olympics, became the first Indian woman to win multiple medals in the same Olympics since independence.

There was an uproar over Bhaker’s name being excluded from the list, prompting her to post about it, which she later deleted. However, Bhaker admitted that there was an "error" in the nomination process, and the Ministry of Sports clarified that the names had not been finalized at that point.

D Gukesh, who became the youngest world chess champion after defeating China’s Ding Liren in Singapore last month, has made history. He also played a key role in helping India win gold at the 45th Chess Olympiad.

Harmanpreet Singh, who led India’s hockey team to back-to-back Olympic bronze medals, finished as the top goal scorer in the tournament and later helped India win the Asian Champions Trophy for the second time.

Praveen Kumar, who won a silver medal at the Tokyo Paralympics, upgraded it to gold in the Paris Games.

The Ministry of Sports announced that the awardees will receive their awards from the President of India at a special ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 17, 2025, at 11:00 AM.