President Murmu gave out the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna awards on Friday January 17th in New Delhi. Four athletes received the award including Manu Bhaker a shooter chess champion D Gukesh hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh and Paralympic high jumper Praveen Kumar. These awards are given every year to honor sports achievements and this ceremony took place at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The award is a big deal because it recognizes how well these athletes have performed and how dedicated they are to their sports. Manu Bhaker has won two Olympic medals D Gukesh is a young chess world champ Harmanpreet Singh is captain of the national hockey team and Praveen Kumar won gold in the Paralympics for high jumping. Everyone got awarded for their awesome work and great performance over the past year.
The awards were given out at a formal event at the president’s place. The awards show how much the country values great sports achievements and it encourages others to do well too. Giving out the Khel Ratna shows that the government respects these athletes hard work and how important sports are for the country.