Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award is given to Olympic gold winner Neeraj Chopra

On Saturday, Indian President Ram Nath Kovind presented Neeraj Chopra with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna honour. Chopra won the javelin throw gold medal in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics earlier this year.

He was India's only second individual gold medalist in the Olympics, and the country's first in athletics.

Chopra got the award in the Rashtrapati Bhawan during the National Sports Awards ceremony.

On November 2, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the National Sports Awards. Every year, the awards are given to reward sporting excellence.

Apart from Chopra, the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna was also given to Ravi Kumar, who won a silver medal in wrestling at the Tokyo Olympics. The prestigious award was given to Lovlina Borgohain (Boxing), Sreejesh PR (Men's Hockey), and Manpreet Singh (Men's Hockey), who also brought laurels to the country during the Tokyo Olympics.

Avani Lekhara, won a gold and a bronze medal in para-shooting at the Tokyo Paralympics, was also awarded the Khel Ratna, together with para-athletes Pramod Bhagat (para-badminton), Krishna Nagar (para-badminton), Manish Narwal (para-shooting), and Sumit Antil (para-shooting) (para-athletics).

Mithali Raj, the captain of the Indian women's cricket team (ODIs and Tests), and Sunil Chhetri, the captain of the Indian men's football team, were among those who received the Khel Ratna award at the occasion.

The complete list of athletes that received the prestigious prize is as follows:

- Neeraj Chopra (Athletics)

- Ravi Kumar (Wrestling)

- Lovlina Borgohain (Boxing)

- Sreejesh P.R (Hockey)

- Avani Lekhara (Para Shooting

- Sumit Antil (Para-Athletics)

- Pramod Bhagat (Para Badminton)

- Krishna Nagar (Para Badminton)

- Manish Narwal (Para Shooting)

- Mithali Raj (Cricket)

- Sunil Chhetri (Football)

- Manpreet Singh (Hockey)