For Rajkumar Sharma, a coach is no different from a parent and that's why he has been "protective" about Virat Kohli, keeping a close watch on the progress of his "son" during his formative years. Sharma, who will be conferred with the prestigious Dronacharya Award, has been the Indian Test captain's coach since he was 10 years old. "It's a huge honour which increases your responsibility to produce not one but many more Virats. I still remember the day when a 10-year-old Virat came to my coaching camp. Today as an Indian captain when he comes for a net session, I don't find any difference. He is still the same old little Virat for me. Nothing has changed for him," the 51-year-old former first-class cricketer told PTI on Tuesday.
Narang preferred to remain practical as far as another shot at the Olympics is concerned.
Paralympic gold-winners Avani Lekhara, Sumit Antil, Pramod Bhagat, Krishna Nagar, Manish Narwal were also given the Khel Ratna at a dazzling awards ceremony on Saturday.
Tarak Sinha, the Indian coach with most number of international and first-class cricketers as his disciples, died on Saturday morning after a prolonged illness.
Twenty-one sportspersons, including cricketer Virender Sehwag, footballer I M Vijayan and hockey player Gagan Ajit Singh, have been named for the Arjuna awards 2002.
The AIFF again proposed the name of Jo Paul Ancheri after the versatile player missed out on the prestigious honour last year.
Virat Kohli sent the shutterbugs into a clicking frenzy as he received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday.
Tendulkar, unarguably the greatest batsman in modern cricket, was coached by Achrekar at the Shivaji Park in Mumbai's Dadar as a child.
Mary Kom said she merely left it on the federation and did not pressurise it to rule in her favour.
'Our performance went really well though I am sad I couldn't manage a medal but I am happy to secure 15+ in the first level'
Javelin thrower Annu Rani and four-time Commonwealth Games medallist discus thrower Seema Antil Punia also have been recommended for the Arjuna Award.
'I don't really care for awards for myself but I would be grateful if Anil Dhankar, my formative coach is considered for the Dronacharya'
Bajrang Punia had won gold medals at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games last year.
Kumari, a veteran in the World Cup Finals with four silver medals, came out on top in the shoot-off.
Over the last few years, National Sports Awards have been in the news for creating controversies, but Sports minister Sarbananda Sonowal has said there is no need to review the selection policy for them.
This year a whopping 74 winners were picked for the national honours, including an unprecedented five Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratnas and 27 Arjuna awardees.
It has been reported that Kataria, nominated by the selection panel for his contribution in kabaddi, is a joint secretary of the Wushu Association of India and the kabaddi players and coaches have expressed surprise over his selection.
The World Championship is one of the ten qualifying events for the 2020 Japan Olympics.
World No 1 Bajrang has recently stamped his authority at the Asian Championship in Xi'an, China by clinching a gold medal in the men's 65kg freestyle event.
It's been seven years since a chess player got the Arjuna award and the iconic Viswanathan Anand is hoping that India's triumphant campaign at the online Chess Olympiad will change this when the national sporting honours are announced next year.
The BCCI this year hasn't forwarded any name for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, the highest honour for active sportspersons in the country, since the Indian cricket board didn't find any fitting cricketer for the award.
This was due to the fact that they had already won the Khel Ratna, the country's highest sporting honour.
Verma wins compound individual gold, opens tally for India.
Indian women's team captain Ritu Rani and senior's men's team drag-flicker V R Raghunath were on Wednesday recommended by Hockey India for the Arjuna Award.
Women's national hockey coach Sjoerd Marijne was on Friday named chief coach of the Indian men's team -- a stunning decision given that the Dutchman has no prior experience of handling a senior men's side.
Former India footballer and hero of the 1956 Olympic team, Syed Abdus Salam is bed-ridden and facing a financial crisis.
It was a celebration of woman power in sports as Olympic stars PV Sindhu, Sakshi Malik and Dipa Karmakar were on Monday conferred India's highest sporting honour -- the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna -- along with shooter Jitu Rai in a gleaming awards ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi.
India's greatest ever Olympian Sushil Kumar strongly feels that panels similar to one headed by Justice RM Lodha to clean up the Board of Control for Cricket in India mess, is required to bring in more accountability and transparency in functioning of National Sports Federations (NSF).
With an aim to avoid controversy on giving away sports awards, the government decided to grant 90 per cent weightage to medal winners of Olympics, Asian and Commonwealth Games and World Cup/World Championships held once in four years for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Dronacharya and Dhyan Chand awards.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday, hosted the National Sports awardees, including Rio Olympics silver medallist PV Sindhu and bronze winner Sakshi Malik, at his 7 Race Course Road residence in New Delhi.
Amidst controversies, the National Sports Awards were presented by President Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Friday.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Tuesday
S Bhaskaran is the first bodybuilder to be presented the Arjuna Award in 20 years.
'I am a gadha (donkey)! But God has been on my side and I have managed to produce players,' Dronacharya Awardee Merzban Patel tells Laxmi Negi/Rediff.com.
India's shooting ace Apurvi Chandela attained the World No 1 position in the women's 10m air rifle event while compatriot Anjum Moudgil rose to second.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Sunday
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