New Delhi: Shooter Manu Bhaker, who won a medal for India in the Olympics, has been awarded the Khel Ratna award after a lot of uproar. The Sports Ministry said that Olympic medal winner Manu Bhaker, world champion D Gukesh, Harmanpreet Singh and para athlete Praveen Kumar will receive the Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. Apart from this, the Sports Ministry has selected 32 players for the Arjuna Award, of which 17 are para athletes.

These four players will get Khel Ratna

22-year-old Manu Bhaker became the first Indian athlete to win two medals in the same edition of the Olympics by winning bronze medals in the 10m air pistol individual and 10m air pistol mixed team events. In the Tokyo Olympics, hockey captain Hamranpreet played an important role in helping the Indian hockey team win its second consecutive bronze. At the same time, 18-year-old Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh recently became the youngest world champion and played an important role in helping the Indian team win a historic gold medal in the Chess Olympiad last year. The fourth Khel Ratna awardee is para high-jumper Praveen, who won a gold medal at the Paris Paralympics.

That is why the award is given

Veteran athletes Sucha Singh and Muralikant Rajaram Petkar have been selected for the Lifetime Achievement Award. All the athletes will receive the Major Dhyan Khel Ratna Award from the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 17. The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award is given for the most outstanding and spectacular performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson during the last four years. The Arjuna Award is given for outstanding performance in sports and games during the last four years and for displaying good leadership, sportsmanship and a sense of discipline.

How much money is given in Khel Ratna Award

Let us tell you that the Major Dhyanchand Khel Ratna Award is the highest sports award given in India. With this honor, the player or athlete receiving the award is given Rs 25 lakh. Along with this, a trophy and a citation are also given. Let us tell you that earlier the players receiving the Khel Ratna Award used to get only Rs 7.5 lakh, but in the year 2020 it was increased to 25 lakhs.