Gagan Narang receives Khel Ratna award

NEW DELHI: Ace shooter Gagan Narang was conferred the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award by President Pratibha Patil at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Monday.

Ace Indian shooter Gagan Narang, who notched up four gold medals at last year's Commonwealth Games was selected for the highest sports award.

The 28-year-old rifle shooter, who was the first Indian marksman to qualify for next year's London Olympics with a bronze in the World Championships last year, had been disgruntled at being "ignored" for the award last year.

Nineteen sportspersons - Zaheer Khan (Cricket), Rahul Banerjee (Archery), Preeja Sreedharan (Athletics), Vikas Gowda (Athletics), Jwala Gutta ( Badminton), Suranjoy Singh (Boxing), Sunil Chhetri (Football), Rajpal Singh (Hockey), Virdhawal Khade (Swimming), Tejaswini Sawant (Shooting), Ashish Kumar (Gymnastics), Somdev Devvarman (Tennis), Ravinder Singh (Wrestling), Ravi Kumar (Weightlifting), Sandhya Rani (Wushu), Prasanta Karmakar (Swimming), Sanjay Kumar (Volleyball), Rakesh Kumar (Kabaddi) and Tejaswini (Kabaddi) - have been awarded the Arjuna Awards.

The 32-year-old India's pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, who has taken 271 Test wickets at an average of 31.94, besides 273 one-day wickets at an average of 28.84, is the first male cricketer to get the Arjuna Award after Gautam Gambhir was named in 2009.

While Indian football striker Sunil Chettri, rising tennis star Somdev Devvarman, who had struck a golden double last year by finishing on top in both the Commonwealth and Asian Games singles events were conferred the Arjuna award.

Fly weight boxer Suranjoy Singh, who clinched an astonishing seven back-to-back gold medals last year including the Commonwealth Games gold, also received the Arjuna award from the President.

Discus thrower Vikas Gowda, who won a bronze medal in the Asian Games last year, and long-distance runner Preeja Sreedharan, an Asian Games gold-medallist got the Arjuna award.

Among shooters, India's first woman world champion Tejaswini Sawant, who clinched the top honours in the 50m rifle prone event.

Ashish Kumar, the first Indian gymnast to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games was also awarded. He had clinched a silver in the men's vault and bronze in the men's floor events of the Delhi Games.

Wushu player Sandhya Rani was also feted for her Asian Games silver with the Arjuna award, while archer Rahul Banerjee, who clinched the men's recurve gold in the Commonwealth Games last year was honoured.

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna: Gagan Narang (Shooting)

Arjuna Awards: Zaheer Khan (Cricket, Rahul Banerjee (Archery), Preeja Sreedharan (Athletics), Jwala Gutta (Badminton), Suranjoy Singh (Boxing), Sunil Chhetri (Football), Rajpal Singh (Hockey), Rakesh Kumar (Kabaddi), Tejaswini Sawant (Shooting), Virdhawal Khade (Swimming), Ashish Kumar (Gymnastics), Somdev Devvarman (Tennis), Ravinder Singh (Wrestling), Ravi Kumar (Weightlifting), Vikas Gowda (Athletics), Sandhya Rani (Wushu), Prasanta Karmakar (Swimming), Sanjay Kumar (Volleyball), Tejaswini (Kabaddi).

Dronacharya Awards: Inukurthi Venkateshwara Rao (Boxing), Devender Kumar Rathore (Gymnastics), Ramphal (Wrestling), Kuntal Roy (Athletics), Rajinder Singh (Hockey).

Dhyan Chand Awards: Shabbir Ali (Football), Sushil Kohli (Swimming), Rajkumar (Wrestling).