Star players from Nita Ambani’s MI to receive Padma Shri for…, they are…
Harmanpreet Kaur, who led the Indian women’s cricket team to their first World Cup win, and Rohit Sharma, who captained the men’s team to the 2024 T20 championship, are also star players from Nita Ambani’s MI in WPL and IPL. They have been honoured with Padma Awards. The government announced the awards on Sunday, the eve of Republic Day. Former tennis star Vijay Amritraj has been awarded the Padma Bhushan.
This year’s Padma Shri recipients
This year’s Padma Shri recipients include Paris Paralympics 2024 gold medalist para-athlete Praveen Kumar, Indian women’s hockey team goalkeeper Savita Punia, coach Baldev Singh who revolutionized women’s hockey in India, as well as Bhagwandas Raikwar and K. Pajanivel.
What are the categories of the Padma awards?
The Padma Awards are among the highest civilian honours in India and are given in three categories: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri. They recognize distinguished contributions in fields such as art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, and civil service. The Padma Vibhushan is for exceptional and distinguished service, the Padma Bhushan for high-order distinguished service, and the Padma Shri for distinguished service in any field. The awards are announced every year on the occasion of Republic Day.
Who is awarded the Padma Bhushan?
Vijay Amritraj is known as the tennis player who brought India recognition in the sport. Born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, he reached the quarter-finals of Wimbledon and the US Open twice. This year, he is the only sportsperson to receive the Padma Bhushan. Earlier, he was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1983 and the Arjuna Award in 1974.
Who are the sportspersons to receive Padma Shri?
Harmanpreet Kaur: Under Harmanpreet Kaur’s leadership, the Indian women’s cricket team won the ICC Women’s World Cup for the first time last year. Her captaincy helped the team perform brilliantly and end the long wait for a World Cup trophy.
Rohit Sharma: Under Rohit Sharma’s leadership, the Indian men’s cricket team won the 2024 T20 World Cup. The former captain had also led India to the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup, and last year the team won the Champions Trophy.
Vladimir Mestvirishvili: Legendary Georgian wrestling coach Vladimir Mestvirishvili has been awarded the Padma Shri posthumously. He helped elevate Indian wrestling to new heights. Mestvirishvili coached the Georgian team from 1982 to 1992 and came to India in 2003, playing a key role in shaping the careers of Olympic medal-winning wrestlers like Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, and Bajrang Punia. Ravi Dahiya, Tokyo 2020 silver medalist, also trained under him.
Baldev Singh: Baldev Singh is credited with transforming Indian women’s hockey. He has trained several star and international players, including former captain Rani Rampal. He is known as a key mentor in women’s hockey development.
Bhagwandas Raikwar: Bhagwandas Raikwar has been awarded the Padma Shri for his outstanding contribution to martial arts. The 83-year-old from Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, has devoted his life to traditional martial arts and spent decades promoting and preserving the “Bundeli War Art” of the Bundelkhand region.
Praveen Kumar: Para-athlete Praveen Kumar from Uttar Pradesh has also received the Padma Shri. A high jumper, he made history by winning silver in the men’s T-64 event at the Tokyo Paralympics. He later won gold at the Paris Paralympics 2024.
K. Pajanivel: K. Pajanivel from Puducherry has been honoured with the Padma Shri for promoting the ancient Tamil weapon-based martial art, Silambam. He has been practicing and teaching this art for over 40 years.
Savita Punia: Indian women’s hockey goalkeeper Savita Punia is among the five sportspersons awarded the Padma Shri this year. She was part of the 2016 Rio Olympic team, India’s first in 36 years. In 2017, her outstanding performance in the FIH Women’s Hockey World League Round 2 earned her the “Goalkeeper of the Tournament” title. She also contributed significantly to India’s win in the 2017 Women’s Asia Cup, ending a 13-year title drought. As vice-captain, she played a key role in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics campaign, helping India finish fourth.