Neeraj Chopra, Mithali Raj and nine more athletes nominated for Khel Ratna Award 2021

Neeraj Chopra, Mithali Raj and nine more athletes nominated for Khel Ratna Award 2021

Neeraj Chopra and Mithali Raj - Khel Ratna Award 2021 nominees

The Tokyo 2020 gold-medalist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is among the 11 athletes nominated for the Khel Ratna Award for the year 2021. Apart from Chopra, other Olympics champions – Ravi Kumar Dahiya (Wrestling) and Lovlina Borgohain (Boxing) and men’s hockey team goal-keeper PR Sreejesh are also on the list.

Moreover, Sunil Chhetri (Football), Mithali Raj (Cricket), Pramod Bhagat (Badminton), Sumit Antil (Athletics), Avani Lekhara (Shooting), Krishna Nagar (Badminton) and M Narwhal (Shooting) have been also been nominated for this prestigious award.

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As many as 35 players, including ace cricketer, Shikhar Dhawan, have also been selected for the Arjuna Award. All members of the Men’s Hockey Team who won the historic bronze medal at the Tokyo Games (not awarded previously) will be awarded one of the highest sports awards of the country.

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List of 11 Indian athletes who have been recommended for the Khel Ratna Award 2021

  • Neeraj Chopra (Athletics)
  • Ravi Dahiya (Wrestling)
  • PR Sreejesh (Hockey)
  • Lovlina Borgohain (Boxing)
  • Sunil Chhetri (Football)
  • Mithali Raj (Cricket)
  • Pramod Bhagat (Badminton)
  • Sumit Antil (Javelin)
  • Avani Lekhara (Shooting)
  • Krishna Nagar (Badminton)
  • M Narwal (Shooting)

Earlier known as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, the country’s honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently renamed India’s highest sporting honour after legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand following India’s iconic glory in hockey at Tokyo Olympics 2020 after a mammoth gap of 41 years.

Also Read | Tokyo 2020 Rewind: The highs and lows of India’s campaign