President Pranab Mukherjee today conferred the National Sports Awards at a function at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on the occasion of National Sports Day.
The following awards were conferred on deserving sportspersons: the Dronacharya Award, the Arjuna Award, the Dhyan Chand Award, the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar, the Tenzing Norgay Awards, the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) trophy and the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar.
A total of five sportspersons were awarded the Dronacharya Award, with 15 recipients of the Arjuna Award; three winners of the Dhyan Chand Award, four Tenzing Norgay winners; four Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar winner; and Punjabi University, Patiala won the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) trophy.
The awardees are: for the Dronacharya Awards - Mahabir Prasad, N. Lingappa, G. Manoharan, Gurcharan Singh Gogi and Jose Jacob; for the Arjuna Awards - Abhishek Verma, Tintu Luka, H.N. Girisha, V. Diju, Geetu Anna Jose, Jai Bhagwan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Anirban Lahiri, Mamta Pujari, Saji Thomas, Heena Sidhu, Anaka Alankamony, Tom Joseph, Renu Bala Chanu and Sunil Kumar Rana; for the Dhyan Chand Awards - Gurmail Singh, K.P. Thakkar and Zeeshan Ali; for the Tenzing Norgay Awards - Subedar Jagat Singh, Passang Tenzing Sherpa, MWO Surender Singh and Wing Commander (Retd) Amit Chowdhury; and for the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar - Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), Jindal Steel Works (JSW), Guru Hanuman Akhara, Delhi and Magic Bus India Foundation.
All the awardees were present for the occasion, except for cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin, who is currently touring England with the national team. He will be presented with the award by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, Youth Affairs and Sports at a later date.
