Rathore, Suma win top award

Olympic Games silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and fellow shooter Suma Shirur on Saturday bagged the HISA Indian sportsman and sportswoman of the year award respectively for their performances in 2004.

Rahul Dravid won the Hero Indian Sports Academy (HISA) Indian cricketer of the year award while the award for the Indian Team of the year went to the shooting team.

Rathore pipped leading cricketers like Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and Sachin Tendulkar and eminent chess player Viswanathan Anand, who were all in the fray for the honour.

Gold medallist at 10th Asian Shooting championship 2004 at Kuala Lumpur -- Suma Shirur scored over Anju George, Sania Mirza and Anjali Vedpathak Bhagwat.

Rathore bagged the honour in the shooting discipline as well, pipping Mansher Singh, Suma Shirur and Anjali Vedpathak.

Indian shooting team won the "HISA Indian team of the year" while closely competing with Indian cricket team, chess team (men) and Indian junior hockey team.

In other categories, Viswanathan Anand won the "Indian Chess Player of the year", while Anju George bagged best "Indian sportsperson of the year (athletics)" and Alok Kumar was honoured with the "Indian Cue Sportsman of the year" award.

S Venkatesh netted the prize for the "Indian football player of the year".

Jyoti Randhawa was honoured with "Indian golf player of the year" and 20-year-old Mumbai based captain of the junior hockey team -- Adrian D Souza won the "Indian Hockey player of the year".

Leading squash player Sourav Ghoshal won the award for "Outstanding Performance In Other Sports"

P Harikrishna, World Junior Chess champion won the "Young Indian Achiever" award, while Koneru Humpy bagged the same award in women's section.

On the occasion, HISA also recognised Indian women's contribution to sports and felicitated young tennis sensation Sania Mirza and World Billiards Champion Anuja Thakur with Special Awards.