Two-time Olympic bronze medalist hockey player Hardik Singh has been recommended for the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, the highest sports award by the government. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports committee suggested his name for his significant contributions to the Indian hockey team over the past two years. Hardik played a crucial role in securing bronze medals for India in the Tokyo and Paris Olympics, as well as in winning gold at the Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2023 and the Asia Cup 2025 in Rajgir.
Born in Khusropur, Punjab, Hardik Singh, a 27-year-old midfielder, has earned 166 caps with the Indian national hockey team. He is associated with the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and has been a key player for the team. Notably, he is the sixth hockey player to be recommended for the Khel Ratna award, following the likes of Dhanraj Pillay, Sardar Singh, Rani Rampal, PR Sreejesh, Manpreet Singh, and Harmanpreet Singh.
The selection committee also recommended 24 sportspersons for the Arjuna Awards, including athletes like Tejaswin Shankar, Priyanka, Vidit Gujrathi, Divya Deshmukh, Akhil Sheoran, Mehuli Ghosh, Treesa Jolly, and Gayatri Gopichand. Interestingly, no member of the Indian women’s cricket team, which recently won their first Women’s ODI World Cup, was considered by the panel. Last year, Harmanpreet Singh, Manu Bhaker, Gukesh D, and Praveen Kumar were among the recipients of the Khel Ratna award.
The Arjuna Award recommendations also include Aarti Pal, the first yogasana athlete to be recommended for the honor. Aarti, a national and Asian champion in yogasana, will showcase her skills at the Asian Games in Japan next year. Other notable recommendations are rifle shooter Mehuli Ghosh, gymnast Pranati Nayak, polo star Padmanabh Singh, wrestler Sonam Malik, and para-athlete Ekta Bhyan.
