Rinku, Praveen, Gukesh, and Harmanpreet Honored with Khel Ratna; 32 Athletes Receive Arjuna Award

 In a major recognition of India’s sporting achievements, the prestigious Khel Ratna Award has been conferred upon four outstanding athletes—Rinku (cricket), Praveen Kumar (para-athletics), D. Gukesh (chess), and Harmanpreet Singh (hockey). This award, India’s highest sporting honor, is given to athletes for their exceptional performances at the national and international levels.
Additionally, 32 athletes have been honored with the Arjuna Award, which recognizes consistently outstanding performances. This year, a record-breaking 17 para-athletes have been included in the list, marking a historic moment for India's para-sports community.
A special award ceremony will take place at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 17, where President Droupadi Murmu will present the awards.

Breakdown of Awards:
•    Khel Ratna Award:
o    India’s highest sporting honor.
o    Includes a medal, certificate, and a cash prize of ₹25 lakh.
•    Arjuna Award:
o    Recognizes athletes for consistent excellence in sports.
o    Includes a medal, certificate, and a cash prize of ₹15 lakh.
This year, the Arjuna Award highlights India's growing strength in para-sports, with multiple Paralympic medalists being honored.

Arjuna Award Winners List:
Track and Field (Athletics):
•    Jyoti Yaraji (Athletics)
•    Anu Rani (Javelin Throw)
Wrestling:
•    Neetu (Wrestling)
•    Ravindra Kumar (Greco-Roman Wrestling)
Shooting:
•    Swapnil Kusale (Shooting)
Archery:
•    Aditi Swami (Archery)
•    Parneet Kaur (Archery)
Other Sports:
•    Aman Sehrawat (Wrestling)
•    Sarabjot Singh (Shooting)

Para-Athletes in the Arjuna Award List:
•    Tulsi Mati Murugesan (Para-athletics)
•    Nitya Sumanth Sindhu (Para-badminton)
•    Shyam Sunder Swami (Para-archery)
•    Sheetal Devi (Para-archery)
•    Manish Narwal (Para-shooting)
•    Deepender Singh (Para-shooting)
•    Ramesh Kumar (Para-cycling)
•    Amit Pal (Para-athletics)