Men's hockey team captain Harmanpreet, under whose leadership India won a second successive bronze medal at the Olympics, said the honour is a recognition of his "fascinating" journey in which he still has plenty more to achieve.
In 2021, the Centre renamed the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna as Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. But many wonder, why despite the public sentiment the country's highest civilian honour continues to elude the man who put Indian hockey on the world map.
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.
The 36-year-old Jhajharia, who is the first Indian to win two Paralympic gold medals, was the first choice of the awards selection committee.
Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat are in contention for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award
The NRAI has sent the names of champion pistol shooters Saurabh Chaudhary and Abhishek Verma for the prestigious Arjuna Award, according to federation sources.
The Karnataka high court brought a stay on the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna to be conferred on tennis ace Sania Mirza on Wednesday following paralympian H Girisha's plea against it. The court also issued notice to the Centre on the development.
Bhaker said the award selection panel would have followed due processes but sometimes errors can happen.
Olympic medallists Vijay Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt will be jointly conferred the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award -- the country's highest sporting honour -- while an unprecedented 25 sportspersons will be bestowed upon the Arjuna awards this year.
Ace Indian shooter Gagan Narang, who won four gold medals at last year's Commonwealth Games, will receive the country's highest sporting honour -- the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna -- from the President at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on August 29. 19 sportspersons will be conferred the Arjuna award.
The para-athletes outnumbered the able-bodied ones in the list this time due to the magnificent Paris Paralympics performance in which they returned with 29 medals, including seven gold and nine silver.
Sania Mirza's was officially named for the coveted Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award on Friday. The Hyderabadi lady is only the second tennis player to be nominated for the country's highest sport honour.
Tamil Nadu has been been churning out top-tier chess for decades at an unrivaled rate. Out of the 85 Grand Masters in India, 31 are from the southern state.
Recently-retired Indian table tennis great A Sharath Kamal has given himself 11 years to produce the country's first Olympic medallist in the racket sport and German football club Borussia Dortmund could end up being his unlikely ally in pursuit of this path-breaking dream.
In what can be construed as a relief to the BCCI, the Sports Ministry has amended the RTI-related provision of the National Sports Governance Bill, placing only those bodies under its ambit which rely on government grants and assistance.
Asian Games champion shuttler Satwiksairaj Rankireddy's father R Kasi Viswanatham died of cardiac arrest on Thursday morning.
Padma Bhushan recipient PR Sreejesh, a legendary Indian hockey goalkeeper, expressed his gratitude for the honor, stating that India has given him more than what he has contributed to the sport.
Indian table tennis legend A Sharath Kamal has announced that the WTT Contender Chennai, scheduled for March 25-30, will be his last tournament as a professional athlete.
Jaspal Rana questions Sports Ministry, NRAI for ignoring Manu's credentials for Khel Ratna
The 33-year-old midfielder from Punjab, a place synonymous with Indian hockey folklore, now stands as the second-highest capped Indian men's player of all time, behind only former Captain and current Hockey India President Dr. Dilip Tirkey (412 caps).
Salient features of the National Sports Governance Bill that promise to overhaul several aspects of sports governance and the grievance redressal system for athletes and administrators alike in the country.
Gukesh will have to carry with him the tag of world champion and along with it loads of expectations and increased scrutiny. But the 19-year-old is prepared to stand in the limelight.
Star Indian pistol shooter Manu Bhaker was named the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year, following her outstanding performance at the Paris Olympics.
Sania Mirza was recommended for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award on Tuesday. She is only the second tennis player ever to be named for the country's highest sporting honour.
To avoid any controversy on the criteria for the Arjuna award, the Sports Ministry on Friday granted 90 per cent weightage to medal winners at various international championships and sports disciplines covered in the Olympics (Summer, Winter and Paralympics), Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. The guidelines, released by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, will be applicable from 2014.
Norway's Magnus Carlsen continues to be the undisputed world No.1 with 2832.5 points, followed by United States' Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura (2802) and country-mate Fabiano Caruana (2798).
Newly-crowned world chess champion D Gukesh is looking forward to the day when the sport will become a part of the Olympic curriculum, which, he said, would take it to an altogether different level not just in India but across the world.
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday wrote to Dipa Karmakar conveying his surprise at her decision to retire, a couple of days after the trailblazing Indian gymnast called time on her career.
Ace pistol shooter Manu Bhaker will lead a 35-member Indian team in the season-opening ISSF World Cups in April in South America.
Avani Lekhara, India's Paralympic shooting sensation, continued her reign of dominance at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.
Legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday praised star pacer Mohammed Shami and para-archer Sheetal Devi after being honoured with the Arjuna Award in Delhi.
Former hockey captain P R Sreejesh was chosen for the Padma Bhushan, while Ravichandran Ashwin was among the Padma Shri winners.
Shami was there to receive the honours. He took 24 wickets in seven World Cup games last year.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday lauded former India women's hockey captain Rani Rampal's achievements, saying her exploits on the field will be cherished for ages to come.
Badminton ace Saina Nehwal, whose phenomenal rise was highlighted by three top-flight international titles recently, was on Sunday conferred the coveted Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award at a glittering ceremony in New Delhi.
On November 30, President Droupadi Murmu presented the Sports and Adventure Awards 2022 at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Here's a quiz celebrating the Indian batting icon and to tell if you're a true Gavaskar fan...
Manika Batra is the first Indian woman paddler to break into the top-25 in table tennis world rankings.
Gold in Rio. Silver in Tokyo. Bronze in Paris. Mariyappan Thangavelu is a Paralympic legend.
India's goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, who will end his illustrious 18-year career after the Paris Olympics, had conceded only five goals in four games at the men's hockey event, which gives him a save rate above 90 percent for the tournament.
