Sports Minister hands over trophies to 2020 award winners

All the winners of the National Sports Awards 2020 had received their cash awards, but were unable to collect their trophies and citation because of the COVID-19 pandemic. On August 29 last year, the Sports Ministry had conferred 74 National Sports Awards, including five Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (now renamed as Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna) and 27 Arjuna awards. 

The notable awardees who attended Monday’s ceremony at a city hotel here were women’s hockey team captain Rani Rampal, wrestler Vinesh Phogat and 2016 Paralympics gold winner Mariyappan Thangavelu. All of them were handed the prestigious Khel Ratna award. 

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics bronze medal-winning boxer Lovlina Borgohain, cricketer Ishant Sharma, sprinter Dutee Chand, archer Atanu Das as well as shuttlers Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were among others, who collected their Arjuna trophies.