Javelin Thrower Neeraj Chopra and Para-shuttler from Odisha, Pramod Bhagat are among 11 sports persons who have been nominated for the Khel Ratna Awards 2021.
Neeraj Chopra who bagged the historic gold at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 along with medal winners at the event - Ravi Dahiya, PR Sreejesh and Lovlina Borgohai has been nominated for the highest sporting honour of the country this year.
The national sports awards committee has also recommended the name of veteran India women's cricketer Mithali Raj, along with legendary footballer Sunil Chhetri - the first in the history of Indian football - for the top award.
World champion badminton player from Odisha, Pramod Bhagat who also bagged a historic gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympics has also been named in the list.
Below is the list of Khel Ratna nominations for 2021:-
Neeraj Chopra (athletics)
Ravi Dahiya (wrestling)
PR Sreejesh (hockey)
Lovlina Borgohain (boxing)
Sunil Chettri (football)
Mithali Raj (cricket)
Pramod Bhagat (badminton)
Sumit Antil (athletics)
Avani Lekhara (shooting)
Krishna Nagar (badminton)
Manish Narwal (shooting)
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This apart, a total of 35 Indian athletes have also been recommended for the Arjuna Award by the national sports awards committee.
All the members of the 2020 Olympic bronze-winning men’s hockey team barring Manpreet Singh and PR Sreejesh who had been previous recipient of the award, and all Paralympic medallists, other than the Khel Ratna awardees will be felicitated with Arjuna Award.
Below is the list of Arjuna Award nominations:-
Shikhar Dhawan (cricket)
Bhavani Devi (fencing)
Manish Narwal (shooting)
Arpinder Singh (athletics)
Simranjit Kaur (boxing)
Monika (hockey)
Vandana Katariya (hockey)
Abhishek Verma (shooting)
Sandeep Narwal (kabaddi)
Ankita Raina (tennis)
Deepak Punia (wrestling)
Bhavina Patel (table tennis)
Yogesh Kathuniya (discus)
Nishad Kumar (high jump)
Praveen Kumar (high jump)
Sharad Kumar (high jump)
Suhas LY (badminton)
Singhraj Adhana (shooting)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently rechristened the Khel Ratna Awards as Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna. Earlier, the top award was named after the former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi.