"Feeling very proud": Praveen Kumar on being declared as recipient of Khel Ratna

New Delhi [India], January 3 (ANI): After being nominated for the Arjuna Award, Indian para-athlete Praveen Kumar expressed his feelings saying that it is a very proud moment for him and this will help him to perform better in the upcoming tournaments.
In the T64 high jump event, Praveen Kumar raised the tricolour high with an Asian record-breaking jump of 2.08 m, landing India their sixth gold. India finished the competition with seven gold medals, the nation's highest at any Paralympic event.
"I am feeling very proud and motivated to perform better in the upcoming competitions. In the Paris Paralympic, I won the gold medal for the nation," Praveen Kumar said while speaking to ANI.
Double Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker, World Chess Champion Gukesh Dommaraju, Indian men's hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh and Para Athlete Praveen Kumar have been awarded the prestigious Khel Ratna, according to a statement by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports.
Indian men's hockey players Jarmanpreet Singh, Sanjay, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh and women's hockey team captain Salima Tete have been awarded Arjuna Awards for outstanding performance in Sports and Games 2024.
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 awardees will receive their awards from President Droupadi Murmu at a specially organized function at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 17, 2025. (ANI)