MUMBAI: The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, the highest sporting honour in the city, has many athletes contesting for it this year as India’s cricket captain Virat Kohli, weightlifting champion Mirabai Chanu and badminton ace Kidambi Srikanth are three more names recommended for the award, Press Trust of India reports.
These recommendations are subject to approval by Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. Once ratified by him, President Ram Nath Kovind will present the awards on September 25 at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Despite impressive performances in the last three years, Kohli has missed out on the honour. If he wins this year, he will become only the third cricketer after Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni to do so.
Chanu on the other hand took Indian weightlifting to greater heights with gold medal victories at the Commonwealth Games and the World Weightlifting Championships this year. She will also become the third person in her sport to win the honour after Karnam Malleswari and Nameirakpam Kunjarani.
While Srikanth rose to World No.1 in the men’s badminton rankings in April this year courtesy a remarkable last year in which he won four Superseries titles.
Last year, the Khel Ratna was awarded to the recently retired hockey star Sardar Singh and para-athlete Devendra Jhajharia.
For the Arjuna awards, champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra alongside sprinters Hima Das, Jinson Johnson, cricketer Smriti Mandhana, hockey players Manpreet Singh and Savita Punia, Manika Batra and Rohan Bopanna have been amongst many recommended.
