President Ram Nath Kovind Confers National Sports Awards To Record 74 Sportspersons In A Virtually Held Ceremony

In the first-ever virtually held National Sports Award ceremony held today (29 August), President Ram Nath Kovind conferred a record 74 sporting figures with prestigious awards and honours, reports Indian Express.

Awardees attended the ceremony online, with 60 of the 74 total logging in live from 11 centres of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) spread across different cities. Of them, a total of five were honoured with Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, while 27 were honoured with the Arjuna award.

President Kovind applauded the awardees as their names were announced and their achievements cited. Meanwhile, Union Minister for Sports Kiren Rijiju shared that this marked the first-ever awards ceremony since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak began, in which President Kovind has taken part.

The National Sports Award ceremony is held once each year on the occasion of the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand, who won the nation acclaim and laurels with his sporting prowess, inspiring many to emulate his efforts and success.