President Droupadi Murmu Awards National Sports Heroes with Prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna and Arjuna Awards

In a grand ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday, President Droupadi Murmu honoured several national sports heroes with prestigious awards. Gukesh D, the 17-year-old World Chess Champion, was one of the first recipients to receive the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.

The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award is given annually to recognise and reward excellence in sports by a sportsperson over the previous four years. Manu Bhaker, Harmanpreet Singh, Praveen Kumar, and other medallists from the Paris Olympics and Paralympics received this top honour.

Gukesh D became the youngest-ever World Chess Champion after outclassing China's Ding Liren in Singapore. Meanwhile, Manu Bhaker won twin medals in a single edition of the Games, making her the first Indian athlete to achieve this feat. Harmanpreet led India to their second successive Olympic bronze medal in men's hockey.

On the other hand, Praveen Kumar bagged gold in the high jump T64 at the Paralympics. Seventeen para-athletes received the Arjuna Award for outstanding performance in sports over a period of four years.

Former cyclist Sucha Singh and former para-swimmer Murlikant Rajaram Petkar were given Arjuna Awards (Lifetime) for their contributions to sports despite their retirement from active competition.

The President also conferred several other awards, including the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar on Physical Education Foundation of India. The Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy was awarded to top-performing universities in the Khelo India University Games.

These national sports heroes will now be part of a select group of outstanding athletes who have achieved remarkable success in their respective fields and inspired millions with their achievements.