Sharath Kamal to receive Khel Ratna; Nikhat Zareen, Lakshya Sen win Arjuna awards
New Delhi(PTI): Table tennis legend Achanta Sharath Kamal will receive the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, the country's highest sporting honour, from President Droupadi Murmu on November 30 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here.
While Sharath is the lone Khel Ratna award recipient, a total of 25 athletes including shuttlers Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy, woman boxer Nikhat Zareen, athletes Eldhose Paul, Avinash Sable have been nominated for the Arjuna Award this year.
The awardees will receive their awards from the President at a specially organised function at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Jiwanjot Singh Teja (Archery), Mohammad Ali Qamar (Boxing), Suma Siddharth Shirur (Para shooting) and Sujeet Maan (Wrestling) have been nominated for the ?Dronacharya Award in the regular category, while Dinesh Jawahar Lad (Cricket), Bimal Prafulla Ghosh (Football) and Raj Singh will receive the recognition in the lifetime category.
Ashwini Akkunji C (Athletics), Dharamvir Singh (Hockey), B C Suresh (Kabaddi) and Nir Bahadur Gurung (Para Athletics) will get the Dhyan Chand Award for lifetime achievement in sports and games.
TransStadia Enterprises Private Limited will receive the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar, 2022 for identification and nurturing of budding and young talent, while Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology and Ladakh Ski & Snowboard Association have been nominated for encouragement to sports through corporate social responsibility and sports for development respectively.
List of awardees:
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2022: Achanta Sharath Kamal.
Arjuna Awards for outstanding performance in Sports and Games 2022: Seema Punia (Athletics), Eldhose Paul (Athletics), Avinash Mukund Sable (Athletics), Lakshya Sen (Badminton), HS Prannoy (Badminton), Amit (Boxing), Nikhat Zareen (Boxing), Bhakti Pradip Kulkarni (Chess), R Praggnanandhaa (Chess), Deep Grace Ekka (Hockey), Shushila Devi (Judo), Sakshi Kumari (Kabaddi), Nayan Moni Saikia (Lawn Bowl), Sagar Kailas Ovhalkar (Mallakhamb), Elavenil Valarivan (Shooting), Omprakash Mitharval (Shooting), Sreeja Akula (Table Tennis), Vikas Thakur (Weightlifting), Anshu (Wrestling), Sarita (Wrestling), Parveen (Wushu), Manasi Girishchandra Joshi (Para Badminton), Tarun Dhillon (Para Badminton), Swapnil Sanjay Patil (Para Swimming), Jerlin Anika J (Deaf Badminton).
Dronacharya Award for outstanding coaches in Sports and Games 2022 Regular Category: Jiwanjot Singh Teja (Archery), Mohammad Ali Qamar (Boxing), Suma Siddharth Shirur (Para Shooting), Sujeet Maan (Wrestling).
Lifetime Category:Dinesh Jawahar Lad (Cricket), Bimal Prafulla Ghosh (Football), Raj Singh (Wrestling).
Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime achievement in Sports and Games 2022: Ashwini Akkunji C (Athletics), Dharamvir Singh (Hockey), B C Suresh (Kabaddi), Nir Bahadur Gurung (Para Athletics).
Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2022: TransStadia Enterprises Private Limited, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Ladakh Ski & Snowboard Association.
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy 2022: Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Why did BJP ask its leaders to say Constitution will be changed?: Akhilesh Yadav
Agra (UP) (PTI): Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday targeted the BJP, saying why did it "ask its leaders" to repeatedly say that the "Constitution would be changed".
Addressing an election rally in Jalesar of Agra Lok Sabha constituency, Yadav said that the "lying" BJP government will have to answer the "real questions" of the people in the ongoing elections.
"The public's real question for the BJP is why did it ask its leaders to repeatedly say that the Constitution given by Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar will be changed? Does the BJP have an answer to this?" the SP chief said.
"Why did the BJP raise the issue of changing the Constitution -- that protects the exploited, deprived and oppressed -- to end reservations. These are the real questions of the public, to which the BJP has no answer," he said.
Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Yadav said, "Those who used to talk about 'Mann Ki Baat' should now talk about the Constitution. Now, they can not do everything according to their whims. Now, the lying BJP government will have to face the true questions of the people."
Yadav further targeted the government over lack of government jobs, papers leak and the Agnipath scheme.
"If BJP does not have an answer, it should not be given votes," he said.
Terming the electoral bonds as a ploy to extort industrialists, Yadav said it led to inflation.
After the Lok Sabha elections, when the INDIA bloc government is formed, the Agniveer scheme will be abolished, farmers will get guaranteed minimum support price and the poor will get more nutritious free ration, he said.
The poor and women will also be given Rs 1 lakh, he added.
Agra will go to polls on May 7 in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
