29-Aug-2009 352
The UPA Government made this year’s National Sports Day memorable by conferring the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awards to three sportspersons, instead of one, and enhancing the amount of cash prize for all the National Sports Awards.
Olympic boxer Vijender Singh and wrestler Sushil Kumar along with four-time world champion woman pugilist M C Mary Kom received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in a glittering ceremony in New Delhi today.
Winners of the Khel Ratna Awards received Rs 7.5 lakh and a newly-designed statuette. Mary Kom dedicated her award to her two-year-old twin sons K Rechungvar Kom and K Khupneivar Kom.
It was also a red letter day for 15 other sportspersons who received the Arjuna Award from President Pratibha Patil at the Ashok Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhawan. Prominent among them were cricketer Gautam Gambhir, World No 7 badminton player Saina Nehwal, Asian chess champion Tania Sachdev and hockey player Ignace Tirkey. Like the Khel Ratna Winners, Arjuna Awardees also got a newly-designed statuette, along with citations and an enhanced cash prize of Rs 5 lakh each.
Saina’s mentor and former badminton player Pullela Gopichand, India’s assistant boxing coach at the Beijing Olympics Jaidev Bisht and Sushil’s coach Satpal Singh were among the four Dronacharya Awardees. They received a statuette, citation and an enhanced cash prize of Rs 5 lakh each.
The Sports Ministry also instituted a new award this year, the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar, which was shared by Tata Steel Limited and the Railways Sports Promotion Board in different categories.
AWARDEES:
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award: M C Mary Kom (boxing), Vijender Singh (boxing), Sushil Kumar (wrestling).
Arjuna Awards: Mangal Singh Champia (archery), Sinimole Paulose (athletics), Saina Nehwal (badminton), L Sarita Devi (boxing), Tania Sachdev (chess), Gautam Gambhir (cricket), Ignace Tirkey (hockey), Surinder Kaur (hockey), Pankaj Navanath Shirsat (kabaddi), Satish Joshi (rowing), Ronjan Sodhi (shooting), Poulomi Ghatak (table tennis), Yogeshwar Dutt (wrestling), Girdhari Lal Yadav (yachting), Parul D Parmar (badminton, disabled).
Dhyan Chand Awards: Ishar Singh Deol (athletics), Satbir Singh Dahya (wrestling).
Dronacharya Awards: Pullela Gopichand (badminton), Jaidev Bisht (boxing), S Baldev Singh (hockey), Satpal (wrestling).
Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar: Tata Steel Ltd (Community Sports Identification and Nurturing of Budding Young Talent and Establishment and Management of Sports Academies of Excellence): Railway Sports Promotion Board (Employment of sportspersons and sports welfare measures).
PHOTO: President Pratibha Devisingh Patil presents the Arjuna Award to Orissa hockey international Ignace Tirkey on August 29, 2009.
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