North News
New Delhi, January 17
Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and world chess champion D. Gukesh were conferred with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, India’s highest sporting honor, by President Droupadi Murmu during the National Sports Day ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan. India’s men’s hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh and Paralympian Praveen Kumar, who secured gold in the high jump at the Paris Paralympics, were also honored at the event.
Eighteen-year-old Gukesh received the award for an outstanding year, highlighted by his gold medal at the FIDE World Chess Championship in Singapore and a double-gold win at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest. Gukesh, from Chennai, has been pivotal in raising India’s global chess profile. Shooter Manu Bhaker was recognized for her stellar achievements at the 2024 Paris Olympics, including two bronze medals—one in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol event and another in the Mixed Team 10m Air Pistol event.
The Khel Ratna award, instituted to honor exceptional performance in sports, acknowledges the remarkable achievements of athletes like Bhaker and Gukesh, showcasing excellence across physical and intellectual domains.
