Manu Bhaker, D Gukesh, and More to Receive Khel Ratna Award

The country's biggest sporting award - Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna- will be handed over to four exceptional athletes on 17 January, 2025. Amongst them are the pistol shooter Manu Bhaker, world chess champion D Gukesh, Indian hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh, and a para-athlete Praveen Kumar. Four athletes have garnered incredible milestones for their respective departments and are in line for accolades for being exceptional contributors to India's sporting endeavors.

Manu Bhaker made history by becoming the first Indian athlete to win two medals in a single Olympic Games at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She is just 22 years of age. Bhaker won bronze medals in both 10m air pistol individual and 10m air pistol mixed team events. She is a must-see performance at the Olympic Games and this is the main reason why she has emerged as one of the leading shooters of India, while the Khel Ratna award is the culmination of her efforts and brilliance in the sport.

D Gukesh is the chess sensation that is sending ripples throughout the chess world. In doing so, at 18, he set the record books to their latest youngest-ever world chess champion status in defeating Chinese grandmaster Ding Liren at the Singapore-registered tournament last December. Not forgotten in all his skills and genius was how he dominated in the Candidates Tournament that same year of 2024 to cement himself as the country's pride candidate to play at the world championship, something considered very awaited this time around. In turn, his successive wins have brought India onto the world map of chess with victory. Along with Bhaker and Gukesh, under his leadership Indian chess team successfully grabbed the first-ever gold for their country at 2024 Budapest Chess Olympiad.

Among the three, apart from Indian shooters, a medal winner including Indian men hockey team captain will be Khel Ratna. That person will be Harmanpreet Singh on Friday. She also played a huge role in making India successful at the international level as well; like, for instance, she guided the team to their second consecutive hockey bronze medal when the Olympics happened in Paris during 2024. Therefore, leadership coupled with the skill set of a hockey player did indeed fire back India in this sport. Harmanpreet's achievements as a player and captain are significant factors in his recognition for the Khel Ratna, which reflects his dedication to the sport and his role in shaping the future of Indian hockey.

The fourth recipient of the prestigious award is Praveen Kumar, a para-athlete who has excelled in the high jump. Kumar won the T64 championship at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. It was very significant in winning the title for a para-sport. T64 is the classification for athletes having one or both missing legs below the knee, where they compete wearing prosthetic legs. The win of Praveen is motivational for all those athletes, more so for those in para-sports, for how determination and efforts can actually win through obstacles.

There the Rashtrapati Bhavan has itself scheduled the award function for these four sportspersons on 17 January, 2025 for which the handing over of this award will itself be done personally by the Rashtrapati by pomp and gaiety attended by sports dignitaries, government, and top-tier media personalities with the announcement already made after some careful scrutiny, consideration, and review by selection committee on overall sporting performances and value addition to games sports.

The Khel Ratna award is one of the most prestigious accolades that an Indian athlete can receive, and these four recipients have earned it through their extraordinary accomplishments. They broke the records of India in shooting and chess and are leaders who win national teams from hockey and para-athletes. The sportsperson embodies the spirit of excellence and gives immense pride to the country while motivating successive generations to stretch further up high.

Thus, by bestowing this glorious award-the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna on Manu Bhaker, D Gukesh, Harmanpreet Singh, and Praveen Kumar, it does not credit them alone but celebrates the brilliance each has contributed toward Indian sports. With these wins set to get them the glory of the day on January 17, there will be sports lovers and aspirant youngsters at all levels cheering them on till they achieve these triumphs.