Star para-athlete Devendra Jhajharia was on Tuesday named for the prestigious Padma Bhushan, the country’s third highest civilian honour.
Jhajharia is India’s most successful individual athlete at the Olympics or Paralympics, having won three medals – two gold and one silver. He was named among the 17 recipients for the Padma Bhushan award. Forty-year-old Jhajharia’s two gold medals came at the Paralympic Games, Athens 2004 and most recently at Rio 2016. He also won a silver medal in the F46 event at the Tokyo Paralympics last year.
Neeraj Chopra, Pramod Bhagat and Vandana Kataria honored with Padma Shri
Women’s hockey player Vandana Katariya, former India football captain Brahmanand Sankhwalkar, martial arts coach Faisal Ali Dar from Bandipora in Jammu and Kashmir and another martial arts exponent, Sankaranarayanan Menon Chundayil, 93, an expert in the traditional Kalaripayattu of Kerala, received the award. Padma Shri Award.
Olympic gold-winning javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra was among the eight players nominated for the Padma Shri award.
The 24-year-old javelin thrower created history at the Tokyo Olympics by becoming the first Indian in the history of the Games to win gold in the track and field event. He became only the second Indian after shooter Abhinav Bindra to win an individual Olympic gold.
With India reaping the bumper crop at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympic Games, para-sportsmen bagged the most awards among sportspersons with Pramod Bhagat, gold in the SL3 category in para-badminton, Sumit Antil, who broke the world record five on his way. Wrote again. Gold in the javelin throw F64, and para-shooter Avani Lekhara, who won gold in the women’s 10m air rifle standings and bronze in the women’s 50m air rifle standings in Tokyo.
Kalaripayattu (indigenous martial arts form) legend Sankaranarayanan Menon Chundayil, 93, former international martial arts champion Faisal Ali Dar, 67-year-old former Indian football team captain Brahmananda Sankhwalkar and a 29-year-old woman also received the honours. Hockey player Vandana Kataria.
The Padma Awards are presented by the President of India in a formal ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan around March-April every year. No player got the highest Padma Vibhushan in National Awards, while no cricketer could make it to this year’s list.
(with inputs from agencies)
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