Redefining Excellence: The Revamp of National Sports Awards

The National Sports Awards have been delayed due to a re-evaluation process by the Sports Ministry, ensuring honors go to deserving athletes. The traditional August 29 award date is missed again, with pending recommendations for the Khel Ratna and 24 for the Arjuna awards, including promising athletes Hardik Singh and Divya Deshmukh.

The National Sports Awards, traditionally given on August 29, have been delayed this year as the Sports Ministry conducts a re-evaluation, aiming to honor ''only the deserving.''

Recommendations were submitted in December, but the Ministry wants to avoid controversies and ensure awards are not trivialized by unworthy selections.

This year, recommendations include hockey player Hardik Singh for the Khel Ratna and 24 candidates for the Arjuna awards. Notably, this list features young talents like chess prodigy Divya Deshmukh and decathlete Tejaswin Shankar, alongside the first-ever Yogasana athlete, Aarti Pal.

(With inputs from agencies.)