Source: The Imphal Free Press
Imphal, August 02:
Ace Indian women's hockey captain, Tingongleima Chanu, and weightlifter Sanamacha Chanu are among 16 sportspersons selected as recipients of the prestigious Arjuna Award for the year 2000-2001, agency reports said.
According to a PTI report, All-England champion Pullela Gopichand was named the recepient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award while cricketer Venkatesh Prasad was among the 16 Arjuna awardees announced for the year 2000-2001.Almost all disciplines got a reckoning in the Arjuna awards list with two players being picked up from wrestling (Randhir Singh, Kripa ShankarPatel), shooting (Anjali Vedpathak, Abhinav Bindra), hockey (Baljeet Singh Saini, Tingonleima Chanu) and swimming (Sebastien Xavier, J Abhijit) each.
KM Beenamol, who reached the final of the 400 metres at the Sydney Olympics, was the lone athlete to be named for the Arjuna award.
Five coaches including national badminton coach SM Arif have been selected for the Dronacharya awards while 14 former sportpersons have been honored for their life-time contribution to their respective sports.
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award carries a cash prize of Rs three lakh while the Arjuna awards carry one lakh each.
Dronacharya awards carry 2.5 Lakh each.
The complete list of awardees:
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award: Pullela Gopichand (badminton)
Dronacharya awards: Gurdial Singh Bhangu (hockey), Hansa Sharma (weightlifting), Phadke Gopal Purushottam (kho-kho), S M Arif (badminton), Bhupender Dhawan (powerlifting).
Arjuna awards: K M Beenamol (athletics), Venkatesh Prasad (cricket), Baljit Singh Saini, Tingonleima Chanu (hockey), Anjali Vedpathak, Abhinav Bindra (shooting), Sebastien Xavier, J Abhijith (swimming), Randhir Singh, Kripa Shankar Patel (wrestling), George Thomas (badminton), C Honnapa (kabaddi), S Vijayalakshmi (chess), Saaamacha Chanu (weightlifting).
Handicapped: Yadvendra Vashishtha (athletics), Vijay Bhalachandra Munishwar (athletics and powerlifting).
Lifetime contribution: Kalpana Debnath (gymnastics), Capt.
R S Bhola, Balkishen Singh, Jalaluddin Rizvi, Madhu Yadav (hockey), Gurbir Singh Sandhu (shooting): K D Jadhav, Naresh Kumar (wrestling), Milkha Singh, Rachna Govil, Vijaya Mala Bhanot (athletics), Akhtar Ali (tennis), P V Ramana (volleyball) and Surender Singh Kanwasi (rowing).