President Droupadi Murmu conferred the National Sports Awards 2024 at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. The ceremony honored athletes with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, including D. Gukesh, the Chess World Champion, Manu Bhaker, a pistol shooter, Harmanpreet Singh, captain of the Indian hockey team, and Praveen Kumar, a Paralympics gold medalist.
Highlights of Khel Ratna Awardees
- Manu Bhaker made history with bronze medals in 10m air pistol individual and mixed team events at the Paris Olympics.
- Harmanpreet Singh led the Indian hockey team to a consecutive bronze medal win.
- D. Gukesh, at just 18, became the youngest Chess World Champion.
- Praveen Kumar, a para high-jumper, clinched gold in the T64 category at the Paris Paralympics.
Dronacharya and Arjuna Awards
The Dronacharya Award recognized coaches like Subhash Rana (para shooting), Deepali Deshpande (shooting), and S. Muralidharan (badminton).
Additionally, 32 athletes received the Arjuna Award, with notable names like athlete Jyothi Yarraji and boxer Nitu.
Special Honors and Trophies
- Chandigarh University received the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy for outstanding performance in Khelo India University Games.
- Lifetime Arjuna Awards were bestowed upon Sucha Singh and para swimmer Murlikant Petkar for their exemplary contributions.
