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Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra, a silver medalist at the Paris Olympics 2024, did not feature in the list of recipients for the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award at the National Sports Awards 2024. Despite his remarkable performances throughout the season, the Olympic medalist couldn’t be recommended for the country’s highest sporting honor.
Neeraj, who made history as India’s first track-and-field gold medalist at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, delivered yet another stellar season in 2024. While he claimed gold at the Federation Cup and Paavo Nurmi Games, he also earned silver medals at the Doha, Lausanne and Bruxelles Diamond Leagues and, most importantly, registered an 89.45m throw at the Paris Olympics to secure the silver. However, his efforts fell short of defending his Olympic title, as his arch-rival, Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, took gold with a massive throw of 92.97m.
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The key reason behind Neeraj’s absence from the Khel Ratna list lies in the fact that he had already received the award in 2021, following his historic Tokyo triumph.
Who won the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2024?
The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2024 honored four athletes for their outstanding contributions to Indian sports. Shooter Manu Bhaker, who made history by becoming the first Indian post-independence to win two medals in a single Olympic edition, was recognized for her bronze medal wins in the 10m air pistol individual and mixed team events at the Paris Olympics.
Chess prodigy D. Gukesh received the award after his stunning achievement as the youngest-ever world chess champion, defeating China’s Ding Liren in December 2024. Gukesh also led India to a gold medal in the men’s team event at the Chess Olympiad earlier that year.
Men’s hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh was another recipient, lauded for his pivotal role in leading India to bronze medals at both the Tokyo and Paris Olympics. Meanwhile, Praveen Kumar, a high jumper in para-athletics, was recognized for his remarkable gold medal at the Paris Paralympics, upgrading his previous silver from Tokyo 2020.
The awards were presented by President Droupadi Murmu at the National Sports Awards 2024 ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday, January 17.
