Selection Committee recommendations for National Sports Awards 2019

August 19, 2019 November 15, 2020

Unlike in past, Ministry of Sports for year 2019 had formed a single selection committee for evaluating and deciding on all awards including both performance and coaching. The final list of sportsperson for annual sports awards for 2019 across various disciplines and achievements was recently released.

This 12-member selection committee was headed by Justice Mukundakam Sharma (retired Supreme Court judge) and members included- Mary Kom, Bhaichung Bhutia, Anjum Chopra, Anju Bobby George and Kamlesh Mehta besides representatives from Sports Authority of India and sports ministry.

The final recommendations by the 12-member selection committee include a massive 19-member list for Arjuna Awards and 6 for Dronacharya Award for coaching- 3 each in regular and lifetime categories.

Awards are presented every year on 29 August, observed as National Sports Day (Major Dhyan Chand’s birthday).

List of Sports-persons nominated for various awards

Here’s the complete list of recommendations forwarded by selection committee for 2019 sporting awards.

Khel Ratna

Bajrang Punia (wrestling), Deepa Malik (para-athletics)

It is given for most spectacular and outstanding performance by a sportsperson over a period of 4 years immediately preceding year (the year before) during which sportsperson is awarded.

It includes a medal, a certificate, ceremonial dress and cash prize of ₹7.50 lakh.

Arjuna Award

It was started in 1961. It carries a scroll, a bronze statue of Arjuna and cash prize of Rs.500,000.

19 sportsperson Nominated: Ravindra Jadeja (cricket), Chinglensana Singh Kangujam (hockey), Ajay Thakur (kabaddi), Tajinder Pal Singh Toor (athletics), Mohammed Anas Yahiya (athletics), Sundar Singh Gurjar (para sports-athletics), S Bhaskaran (body building), Sonia Lather (boxing), Gaurav Singh Gill (motor sports), Bhamidipati Sai Praneeth (badminton), Pramod Bhagat (para sports-badminton), Anjum Moudgil (shooting), Harmeet Rajul Desai (table tennis), Pooja Dhanda (wrestling), Fouaad Mirza (equestrian), Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (football), Poonam Yadav (cricket), Simran Singh Shergill (polo), Swapna Burman (athletics).

Dronacharya Award (regular category):

Coach: Vimal Kumar (badminton), Sandeep Gupta (table tennis) and Mohinder Singh Dhillon (athletics)