Khel Ratna Award 2025: Manu Bhaker, D Gukesh Receive Khel Ratna, Check Complete List of Winners Inside

Khel Ratna Award Announced: The Sports Ministry of India has announced the National Sports Awards for 2024. This year, four athletes have been selected for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. The athletes receiving the Khel Ratna include world champion Grandmaster D Gukesh, Indian hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh, Para Olympic gold medalist Praveen Kumar, and Manu Bhaker, who won two medals in shooting at the Paris Olympics. The award winners will receive their awards at a special ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 17, 2025 (Friday). The Sports Ministry has selected a total of 32 athletes for the Arjuna Award this year, including 17 para-athletes. However, there are no cricketers among the awardees.

Manu Bhaker Responds to Khel Ratna Nomination Confusion

Recently, reports emerged claiming that Manu Bhaker’s name was missing from the list of Khel Ratna award nominees, which led to an uproar. Manu’s father, Ram Kishan, and coach, Jaspal Rana, were upset about this. However, Manu admitted that she might have made a mistake while submitting her nomination.

Manu Bhaker posted on Twitter: “Regarding the issue with my Khel Ratna nomination, I want to clarify that my role as an athlete is to compete and perform for my country. While awards motivate me, they are not my main goal. I believe there was a mistake while filling out the nomination, which is now being corrected. I will remain focused on winning more medals for India. Please do not speculate on this matter.”

President Droupadi Murmu confers the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2024 to Shri Gukesh D for Chess, honouring his extraordinary skill and remarkable contributions to the world of chess.@rashtrapatibhvn @DGukesh @Media_SAI @MIB_India @PIB_India @YASMinistry @IndiaSports… pic.twitter.com/hWXZWgcozc

— Doordarshan National दूरदर्शन नेशनल (@DDNational) January 17, 2025

Manu Bhaker’s Historic Achievement at the Paris Olympics

Manu Bhaker created history by winning bronze medals in the 10m air pistol individual and the 10m air pistol mixed team events at the Paris Olympics. She became the first athlete from independent India to win two medals in the same edition of the Olympics.

Indian Hockey Team’s Success at the Paris Olympics

The Indian hockey team, led by Harmanpreet Singh, also won a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. This was the first time in two decades that the Indian hockey team earned medals in two consecutive Olympics, having also won bronze at the 2022 Tokyo Olympics.

D Gukesh’s Historic Chess Win

18-year-old D Gukesh became the youngest world champion in December. He defeated China’s Ding Liren to win the FIDE World Championship. Gukesh also helped the Indian team secure a historic gold at the Chess Olympiad.

President Droupadi Murmu confers the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2024 to Shri Gukesh D for Chess, honouring his extraordinary skill and remarkable contributions to the world of chess.@rashtrapatibhvn @DGukesh @Media_SAI @MIB_India @PIB_India @YASMinistry @IndiaSports… pic.twitter.com/hWXZWgcozc

— Doordarshan National दूरदर्शन नेशनल (@DDNational) January 17, 2025

Praveen Kumar’s Gold in Para Athletics

Para high-jumper Praveen Kumar won a gold medal in the T64 category at the Paris Paralympics. The T64 category is for athletes who do not have one or both legs below the knee and rely on artificial legs to run.

Khel Ratna Award Winners:

Here are the athletes who received the prestigious Khel Ratna Award this year:

Arjuna Award Winners:

A total of 32 athletes, including 17 para-athletes, have been selected for the Arjuna Award. Here’s the full list: