Malayali athlete Sajan Prakash and badminton coach S Muralidharan brought pride to Kerala as they were named recipients of the prestigious National Sports Awards 2024. Swimmer Sajan Prakash is among the 32 sportspersons selected for the Arjuna Award this year, recognizing his exceptional achievements in the pool.

Veteran Badminton coach S Muralidharan will receive the Dronacharya Award for his outstanding contributions.

Sajan Prakash has consistently been a trailblazer for Indian swimming. In 2021, he made history by becoming the first Indian swimmer to achieve the Olympic Qualification Timing (OQT) 'A' standard, securing a direct berth to the Tokyo Olympics.

Besides the Malayali stars, the Khel Ratna, India’s highest sporting honor, was awarded to double Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker, World Chess Champion Gukesh Dommaraju, Indian men’s hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh, and Para Athlete Praveen Kumar. These athletes were recognized for their extraordinary achievements in their respective sports, including Olympic and World Championship victories.

Indian chess grandmaster Vantika Agrawal and athlete Jyothi Yarraji have also been conferred with Arjuna Awards.

Para athletes Preeti Pal, Jeevanji Deepthi, Ajeet Singh, Sachin Sarjerao Khilari, Dharambir, Pranav Soorma, Hokato Sema, Simran, and Navdeep will also receive Arjuna Awards.

Olympic medalists Swapnil Suresh Kusale and Sarabjot Singh and Para-Olympic shooters Mona Agarwal and Rubina Francis have also been awarded with Arjuna Awards.

Former Dempo FC and East Bengal head coach Armando Agnelo Colaco was also awarded with Dronacharya Award in the lifetime category.

The awards, announced by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, will be presented at a grand ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 17, 2025. President Droupadi Murmu will confer the honors, celebrating the achievements of India’s finest athletes and coaches.

(With inputs from ANI)