Harmanpreet Kaur and Cheteshwar Pujara to be honoured with Arjuna Award

The India Women’s Team vice-captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara will be awarded the Arjuna Award. These are the two cricketers along with the other sportspersons who would be honoured with Arjuna Award. The Government of India declared the full list of all the awards which included Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Dronacharya, Arjuna and Dhyan Chand awards.

While the committee for Dronacharya and Dhyan Chand awards was headed by Shri Pullela Gopichand, retired justice C.K.Thakkar led the committee for Khel Ratna and Arjuna awards. Interestingly, Virender Sehwag, the former India cricketer, was also the part of the 12-member committee which has been handed with the responsibility to pick this year’s Khel Ratna and Arjuna awards.

Kaur only the sixth woman cricketer to receive the honour

Harmanpreet Kaur, who hogged the limelight with her trailblazing knock of 171* against Australia in the World Cup semi-final, is only the sixth woman cricketer to receive such a huge honour. Indian captain Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, Diana Edulji, Anju Jain and Anjum Chopra are the other women cricketers who have received the Arjuna award before.

Cheteshwar Pujara has been consistently playing some amazing cricket and has been rightfully selected to receive the prestigious award. The batsman has been the vital cog and core of the Indian batting line up for the last four years. Virat Kohli, Ravi Ashwin and Rohit Sharma are the other cricketers in the current Test team who have received this award before.

Arjuna award is considered to be highly prestigious and is given to few of the top cricketers and the sportspersons in India. Over the years the scope of the award has been expanded and a large number of sports persons who belonged to the pre-Arjuna Award era were also included in the list.

Here is the list of all the awards declared:

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna 2017

Shri Devendra – Para Athlete

Shri Sardar Singh – Hockey

Dronacharya Awards 2017

Late R. Gandhi – Athletics

Mr Heera Nand Kataria – Kabaddi

Mr G.S.S.V. Prasad – Badminton (Lifetime)

Mr Brij Bhushan Mohanty – Boxing (Lifetime)

Mr P.A. Raphel –  Hockey (Lifetime)

Mr Sanjoy Chakravenhy – Shooting (Lifetime)

Mr Roshan Lal – Wrestling (Lifetime)

Arjuna Awards 2017

Ms V.J. Surekha – Archery

Ms Khushbir Kaur – Athletics

Mr Arokia Rajiv – Athletics

Ms Prasanthi Singh – Basketball

Sub. Laishram Debendro Singh – Boxing

Mr Cheteshwar Pujara – Cricket

Ms.Harmanpreet Kaur – Cricket

Ms Oinam Bembem Devi – Football

S.S.P. Chawrasia – Golf

Mr S.V. Sunil – Hockey

Mr Jasvir Singh – Kabaddi

Mr P. N. Prakash – Shooting

Mr A. Amalraj –  Table Tennis

Mr Saketh Myneni – Tennis

Mr Satyawart Kadian –  Wrestling

Mr Mariyappan –  Para Athlete

Dhyan Chand Awards 2017

Mr Bhupender Singh – Athletics

Mr Syed Shahid Hakim – Football

Ms Sumarai Tete – Hockey