Para-athletes grab spotlight as President gives away National Sports Awards in traditional ceremony

NEW DELHI: Manu Bhaker and D Gukesh provided a sprinkling of stardust but it was the para-athletes who walked away with the most boisterous applause when President Droupadi Murmu bestowed the National Sports Awards in a regal ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here on Friday.

Double Olympic-medallist Bhaker, 18-year-old chess world champion Gukesh, men’s hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh and Paralympic gold-winning high jumper Praveen Kumar were presented the country’s highest sporting honour — the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna.

The 22-year-old Bhaker became independent India’s first athlete to win two medals in a single edition of the Olympics with her bronze-winning show in the 10m air pistol individual and 10m air pistol mixed team events in August last year.

Source: PTI News

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