The Government has announced
the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awards, Arjuna
Awards, Dhyan
Chand Awards, Dronacharya Awards
and Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar for the year 2009, here today.
A large number of nominations were received
for these awards this year, which were considered by two select panels of eminent
sportspersons and sports administrators; one headed by Kum. Indu Puri (for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, Arjuna Award, Dhyan Chand Award and Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar) and the other by Shri G.S. Randhawa
(for Dronacharya Award). Based on the recommendations of the Committee
and after due scrutiny, the Government has approved to confer awards upon
the following sportspersons / coaches / organizations:
A. Rajiv Gandhi Khel
Ratna Award - 2009 :
|
1.
|
Smt. Mangte
Chungneijang Marykom
|
Boxing (Women)
|
|
2.
|
Shri Vijender
|
Boxing
|
|
3.
|
Shri Sushil
Kumar
|
Wrestling
|
B. Arjuna
Awards – 2009:
|
1.
|
Shri Mangal
Singh Champia
|
Archery
|
|
2.
|
Kum.
Sinimole Paulose
|
Athletics
|
|
3.
|
Kum.
Saina Nehwal
|
Badminton
|
|
4.
|
Smt. Laishram
Sarita Devi
|
Boxing
|
|
5.
|
Kum.
Tania Sachdev
|
Chess
|
|
6.
|
Shri Gautam
Gambhir
|
Cricket
|
|
7.
|
Shri Ignace
Tirkey
|
Hockey (Men)
|
|
8.
|
Kum.
Surinder Kaur
|
Hockey (Women)
|
|
9.
|
Shri Pankaj Navanath
Shirsat
|
Kabaddi
|
|
10.
|
Shri Satish
Joshi
|
Rowing
|
|
11.
|
Shri Ronjan
Sodhi
|
Shooting
|
|
12.
|
Kum.
Poulomi Ghatak
|
Table Tennis
|
|
13.
|
Shri Yogeshwar
Dutt
|
Wrestling
|
|
14.
|
Shri Girdhari
Lal Yadav
|
Yachting
|
|
15.
|
Kum.
Parul D. Parmar
|
Badminton (Disabled)
|
C. Dhyan
Chand Awards – 2009 :
|
1.
|
Shri Ishar
Singh Deol
|
Athletics
|
|
2.
|
Shri Satbir
Singh Dahya
|
Wrestling
|
D. Dronacharya
Awards – 2009 :
|
1.
|
Shri Pullela
Gopichand
|
Badminton
|
|
2.
|
Shri Jaydev
Bisht
|
Boxing
|
|
3.
|
Shri S. Baldev
Singh
|
Hockey
|
|
4.
|
Shri Satpal
|
Wrestling
|
E. Rashtriya
Khel Protsahan Puruskar, 2009 :
|
S.
No.
|
Category
|
Entity
recommended for Rashtriya Khel
Protsahan Puruskar, 2009
|
|
1.
|
Community Sports Identification and
Nurturing of Budding Young Talent
|
TATA Steel Ltd.
|
|
2.
|
Financial Support for Sports
Excellence
|
None qualified
|
|
3.
|
Establishment and Management of
Sports Academies of Excellence
|
TATA Steel Ltd.
|
|
4.
|
Employment of Sportspersons and
sports welfare measures
|
Railways Sports Promotion Board
|
Normally, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award is given to only
one sportsperson in a year. Arjuna Award is given to not more than 15, Dhyan Chand Award to not more than
3 and Dronacharya Award to not more than 5 persons.
However, taking into consideration the spectacular performance of Shri
Vijender in Boxing and Shri Sushil
Kumar in Wrestling, both Bronze Medalists in Beijing Olympics, 2008, the Government
has accepted the recommendation of the Selection Committee to confer the Rajiv
Gandhi Khel Ratna Award on both of them,
as a special case, in addition to Smt. M.C. Marykom.
With a view to recognizing the contribution
made to sports development by entities other than sportspersons and coaches,
Government has instituted this year , a new award
entitled Rashtriya Khel
Protsahan Puruskar, which has four categories, namely, community sports
development, promotion of sports academies of excellence, support to elite
sportspersons and employment to sportspersons.
National Sports Awards are given every
year to recognize and reward excellence in sports. Rajiv Gandhi Khel
Ratna Award is given for spectacular performance in the year
under consideration; Arjuna Award is given for consistently
outstanding performance for three consecutive years preceding the year of
award; Dhyan Chand Award
for life time contribution to sports development; and Dronacharya
Award for producing medal winners at prestigious international sports events
in the past three years.
Apart from a medal and a citation, Rajiv
Gandhi Khel Ratna Awardees
will receive a cash prize of Rs.7.5 lakh each.
Arjuna, Dhyan Chand and Dronacharya Awardees will receive statuettes, citations and
cash prize of Rs.5 lakh each. The recipients of Rashtriya
Khel Protsahan Puruskar will receive trophy and citation.
The awardees will receive their awards
from Her Excellency the President of India at a specially organized function at
the Rashtrapati Bhawan on August 29, 2009 at 1730
hours. From this year, the award shall
be known by the year in which it is awarded.
RM/AS
(Release ID :51164)