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New Delhi: India men's hockey team star Hardik Singh was the only name recommended for this year's Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna honour, while chess queen Divya Deshmukh and decathlete Tejaswin Shankar were among 24 chosen for the Arjuna awards.
The national selection committee comprises Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Vice President Gagan Narang, former badminton player Aparna Popat and former hockey player M M Somaya among others met to finalise names.
They announced names of recommended sportspersons on Wednesday in which the 27-year-old was picked for the country's topmost sporting honour.
He would receive a medallion, a citation and a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh, similar to what those four athletes – chess world champion D Gukesh, men's hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh, para-athlete Praveen Kumar and shooter Manu Bhaker – received last year.
Hardik was part of India’s bronze medal clinching team at Tokyo and Paris Olympics and was a part of India's Asia Cup gold-winning side recently.
A total of 24 athletes were finalised for the Arjuna awards by the awards selection panel after a meeting here on Wednesday.
Teenaged Deshmukh, the first Indian woman to win the World Cup, and Vidit Gujrathi are the chess players recommended.
Shankar claimed a historic silver medal at the Asian Games in 2023 and finished second finish in the Asian Championships earlier this year.
Two-time World Championship bronze-winner rifle shooter Mehuli Ghosh, gymnast Pranati Nayak and shuttlers Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, daughter of national badminton coach and former All England champion Pullela, were included.
Yogasan athlete Aarti Pal was recommended, five years after it was formally recognised by the Sports Ministry, reports PTI.
Aarti is the reigning national and Asian champion in Yogasan, which would be a demonstration sport at the 2026 Asian Games.
Arjuna award winners would get Rs 15 lakh and for the first time since Mohammed Shami in 2023, no cricket was recommended for Arjuna.
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna: Hardik Singh (Hockey)
Arjuna Awards: Tejaswin Shankar (Athletics), Priyanka (Athletics), Narender (Boxing), Vidit Gujrathi (Chess), Divya Deshmukh (Chess), Dhanush Srikanth (Deaf Shooting), Pranati Nayak (Gymnastics), Rajkumar Pal (Hockey), Surjeet (Kabaddi), Nirmala Bhati (Kho Kho), Rudransh Khandelwal (Para-Shooting), Ekta Bhyan (Para-athletics), Padmanabh Singh (Polo), Arvind Singh (Rowing), Akhil Sheoran (Shooting), Mehuli Ghosh (Shooting), Sutirtha Mukherjee (Table Tennis), Sonam Malik (Wrestling), Aarti (Yoga), Treesa Jolly (Badminton), Gayatri Gopichand (Badminton), Lalremsiami (Hockey), Mohammed Afsal (Athletics), Pooja (Kabaddi).
