Global InformationKhel Ratna Award information
| Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award | |
|---|---|
| Highest sports award for excellent performance on International level competitions | |
| Awarded for | Sporting excellence |
| Sponsored by | Government of India |
| Venue | Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi |
| Country | India |
| Presented by | President of India |
| Eligibility | Indian sportsperson |
| Hosted by | Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports |
| Formerly called | Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (1992–2021) |
| Reward(s) | ₹25 lakh (US$31,000) and a medallion |
| Status | In force |
| Established | 1992 |
| First awarded | 1991–92 |
| Last awarded | 2023 |
| Most recent winner | Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty |
| Highlights | |
| Total awarded | 60 |
| First winner | Viswanathan Anand |
| Precedence | |
| Next (lower) | Arjuna Award |
The Khel Ratna Award (Hindi pronunciation: [kʰeːl rət̪nə]), officially known as the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (transl. Major Dhyan Chand Sport Jewel Award),[1][2][3][4] is the highest sporting honour of India.[5] It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India.
Recipients are selected by a committee constituted by the Ministry and honoured for their "spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports over a period of four years" at an international level. As of 2020[update], the award comprises a medallion, a certificate, and a cash prize of ₹25 lakh (US$31,000).[a]
Instituted in 1991–1992, the award was given for the performance by a sportsperson in a year. Based on the suggestions provided by 2014 award selection committee, the Ministry revised the criteria in February 2015 to consider the performance over a period of four years. The nominations for a given year are accepted till 30 April or last working day of April with not more than two sportspersons nominated for each sports discipline. A twelve-member committee evaluates the performances of a sportsperson at various International events which include the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games. The committee later submits their recommendations to the Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports for further approval. The award from 1991-2021 was named after Rajiv Gandhi (1944-1991), the 6th Prime Minister of India.
The award since August 6, 2021 is named after Major Dhyan Chand (1905–79), an Indian field hockey player, widely regarded as one of the greatest field hockey players of all time, who scored more than 1000 goals over a career that spanned over 20 years from 1926 to 1948.[11]
The first recipient of the award was chess Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand, who was honoured for the performance in the year 1991–92. In 2001, sport shooter Abhinav Bindra, then aged 18, became the youngest recipient of the award.[12]
Usually conferred upon only one sportsperson in a year, a few exceptions have been made (1993–1994, 2002, 2009, 2012, and 2016–2021) when multiple recipients were awarded in a year.
As of 2023[update], there have been 59 recipients across sixteen sport disciplines: athletics, badminton, billiards, boxing, chess, cricket, field hockey, football, gymnastics, para-athletics, para-badminton, para-shooting, shooting, snooker, table tennis, tennis, wrestling, weightlifting, and yacht racing.
- ^ "Scheme for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award" (PDF). Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. 23 February 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 September 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
- ^ "Dhyan Chand Award: Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award renamed Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award | India News - Times of India". The Times of India. 6 August 2021. Archived from the original on 6 August 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
- ^ "Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award Renamed After Hockey Great Dhyan Chand". NDTV.com. Archived from the original on 6 August 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
- ^ "PM renames Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award after Dhyan Chand". The Indian Express. 7 August 2021. Archived from the original on 11 August 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ "Sania Mirza conferred with Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award". The Indian Express. New Delhi. 29 August 2015. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
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RGKR9was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Khel Ratna awardees to receive 25 lakh, 15 lakh for Arjuna awardees". The Indian Express. 29 August 2020. Archived from the original on 16 September 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
- ^ "Discover hockey's answer to Pele". 26 February 2004. Archived from the original on 1 September 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
- ^ "5 Interesting Facts About Abhinav Bindra". The Times of India. 23 September 2014. Archived from the original on 21 June 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
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