Odisha World No 1 Para-badminton player Pramod Bhagat was nominated for the prestigious Arjuna Award today. The shuttler from Atabira in Bargarh district is now heading the World Rankings in men’s Standing Lower 3 category with 4905 points to his name. Bhagat is all set to compete in World Para-Badminton Championship, starting in Basel, Switzerland from August 20.

Wrestler Bajrang Punia and para athlete Deepa Malik have been chosen for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award. The Selection Committee for Sports Awards 2019 has recommended names of following individuals and organizations to the Government for various sports awards after assessment and evaluation of achievements at its meeting held on 16 and 17 August, 2019.

RAJIV GANDHI KHEL RATNA AWARD: 1. Bajrang Punia (Wrestling), 2. Deepa Malik (Para Athletics).

DRONACHARYA AWARD: Regular Category: 1. Vimal Kumar (Badminton), 2. Sandeep Gupta (Table Tennis), 3. Mohinder Singh Dhillon (Athletics). Life-Time Category: 1. Merzban Patel (Hockey), 2. Rambir Singh Khokhar (Kabaddi), 3. Sanjay Bhardwaj (Cricket).

ARJUNA AWARD: 1. Tajinderpal Singh Toor (Athletics), 2. Mohammed Anas Yahiya (Athletics), 3. S Bhaskaran (Body Building), 4. Sonia Lather (Boxing), 5. Ravindra Jadeja (Cricket), 6. Chinglensana Singh Kangujam (Hockey), 7. Ajay Thakur (Kabaddi), 8. Gaurav Singh Gill (Motor Sports), 9. Pramod Bhagat (Para Badminton), 10. Anjum Moudgil (Shooting), 11. Harmeet Rajul Desai (Table Tennis), 12. Pooja Dhanda (Wrestling), 13. Fouaad Mirza (Equestrian), 14. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (Football), 15. Poonam Yadav (Cricket), 16. Swapna Barman (Athletics), 17. Sundar Singh Gurjar (Para Athletics), 18. Bhamidipati Sai Praneeth (Badminton), 19. Simran Singh Shergill (Polo).

DHYANCHAND AWARD: 1. Manuel Fredricks (Hockey), 2. Arup Basak (Table Tennis), 3. Manoj Kumar (Wrestling), 4. Nitten Kirrtane (Tennis), 5. C Lalremsanga (Archery).

RASHTRIYA KHEL PROTSAHAN PURASKAR: Identification and Nurturing of Budding and Young Talent: 1. Gagan Narang Sports Promotion Foundation and 2. GO Sports. 4. Sports for Development: Rayalaseema Development Trust

MAULANA ABUL KALAM AZARD TROPHY: 1. Punjab University, Chandigarh (Overall Winner Trophy), 2. Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar (1st Runner-up University), 3. Punjabi University (2nd Runner-up University).