The names for the award-winning players and coaches who will receive the highest sports honour, the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award, Arjuna award, and the Dronacharya award, will be decided on Wednesday. The ministry of youth affairs and sports has formed a new selection panel, which would hold meetings to consider the applications that are received in different sports disciplines.
The newly constituted committee will be headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Arun Kumar Mishra. To ensure that the selection process is free from biases and based on merit, the selection committee comprises some of the most respected personalities from the world of sports.
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Members include ex-Indian women’s cricketer Jhulan Goswami, ex-hockey player MM Somaya, ex-badminton player Aparna Popat, sports journalist Hemant Rastogi, para-sports consultant Sharath Gayakwad, ex-Olympian and sports administrator Gagan Narang. Boxing coach CA Kuttappa, another recipient of the Dronacharya Award, is also part of the jury panel.
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The selection committee is scheduled to hold a meeting on Wednesday at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, where it is expected to scrutinize the nominations before shortlisting the appropriate candidates for the awards.
There are representatives of sports administration as well, who include the CEO of TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) in Sport Authority of India (SAI), and the Executive Director of Sport Teams in Sport Authority of India, and Joint Secretary, Sport Ministry, Dr. Shobhit Jain.
The nominees will undergo a rigorous scrutiny by the committee. Some of the elements considered important for nomination include performance, the ability to deliver consistently, their achievements at the international level, their contribution to their sport, as well as their ability to fit into ethical standards.
The Khel Ratna Award is considered the highest sporting awards in India, conferred on outstanding performances by individuals at the international level. The Arjuna Award respects the exemplary performance of sportspersons, while the Dronacharya Award appreciates the role played by coaches in the development of sportspersons’ excellence.
On the basis of recommendations made by the committee, final decisions would be made, and thereafter the list of awardees would be officially announced. The Sports Ministry thinks that this exercise would not only bring recognition to the deserving individuals in India’s sporting fraternity but would also help in strengthening India’s sporting culture.