Press Trust of India
New Delhi, August 29: The heart-throb of India tennis Sania Mirza was Saturday conferred with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award while Shooting star Jitu Rai was among the Arjuna award recipients in a glittering ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan here.
Sania became the second tennis player to receive the country’s highest sporting honour after Leander Paes on a day when sports ministry was fighting a court case that raised questions against its process of selecting the awardees.
The president also gave away the Arjuna awards even as the line-up was low on star power in the absence of cricketer Rohit Sharma, who missed the ceremony alongside boxer Mandeep Jangra and quarter miler M R Poovamma.
Sania received a medal, certificate and cash prize of Rs. 7.5 lakh. She had flown in just to receive the award ahead of the US Open starting in New York Monday.
The Arjuna awardees received statuettes, certificates and award money of Rs 5 lakh each.
The ceremony, however, was shrouded in controversy with the ignored athletes and coaches not accepting the recommendations of the Ministry-appointed panel.
Nonetheless, the ceremony provided pride and motivation for athletes who were eventually bestowed with the honour. While Khel Ratna was awarded after a year’s gap, 17 were recommended for Arjuna against the usual number of 15 or less.
It was a proud moment for ace pistol shooter Jitu Rai, who was hard to ignore considering his stupendous success in the last two years.
THE AWARDEES
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna: Sania Mirza
Arjuna Award: P R Sreejesh (hockey), Dipa
Karmakar (gymnastics), Jitu Rai (shooting), Sandeep Kumar
(archery), Mandeep Jangra (boxing), Babita (wrestling),
Bajrang (wrestling), Rohit Sharma (cricket), K Srikanth
(badminton), Swarn Singh Virk (rowing), Satish Sivalingam
(weightlifting), Santhoi Devi (wushu), Sharath Gaekwad
(para-sailing), M R Poovamma (athletics), Manjeet Chhillar
(kabaddi), Abhilasha Mhatre (kabaddi), Anup Kumar Yama
(rollerskating).
Droncharya: Naval Singh (athletics-para-sports),
Anoop Singh (wrestling), Harbans Singh (athletics-lifetime),
Swatantar Raj Singh (boxing- lifetime), Nihar Ameen
(swimming-lifetime)
Dhyan Chand awardees: Romeo James (hockey), Shiv Prakash
Mishra (tennis), T.P.P. Nair (volleyball).