Sharath Kamal is honoured with Khel Ratna at the national sports awards.

In a dazzling National Sports Awards event held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here on Wednesday, President Droupadi Murmu presented Indian table tennis legend Achanta Sharath Kamal with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, the nation’s highest sporting honour.

 

Sharath is the only athlete to receive the Khel Ratna honour, however 25 athletes, including the shuttlers Lakshya Sen and H S Prannoy, the female boxer Nikhat Zareen, and the track and field competitors Eldhose Paul and Avinash Sable, received the Arjuna Award.

 

At an event that was especially planned, the pinnacle of Indian sports were honoured for their accomplishments over the previous several years.

 

The celebration is customarily held on August 29 to recognise the legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand’s birth day. However, the event was held on a different date last year as well.

 

Sharath, who earned his Khel Ratna Award in front of a select group of luminaries gathered in the Durbar Hall, was the highlight of the programme.

 

The Khel Ratna is awarded for a sportsperson’s most remarkable and excellent exploits over the course of the past four years. It comes with a medal, a scroll of honour, and a monetary prize of Rs. 25 lakh. A bronze statue, a scroll of honour, and a monetary prize of Rs. 15 lakh are included with the Arjuna award.