Read more about Khel Ratna Award: Jhajharia, Sardar Singh nominated for top sporting honour on Business Standard. Devendra Jhajharia became the first paralympian to be recommended for the Khel Ratna award

1. Khel Ratna Award: Jhajharia, Sardar
Singh nominated for top sporting
honour
Devendra Jhajharia became the first paralympian to be recommended for the Khel Ratna award
Devendra Jhajharia today became the first Paralympian to be recommended for India's highest sporting
honour the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna — along with celebrated former hockey captain Sardar Singh.
Javelin thrower Jhajharia, the first Indian to win two Paralympic gold medals, was the first choice of the awards
selection committee headed by Justice (Retd) C K Thakkar.
The committee has picked 31-year-old midfielder Sardar as its second nominee for the top honour and has
suggested that both Jhajharia and Sardar be considered for the award jointly.
The 36-year-old Jhajharia's two gold medals came in the 2004 Athens Games and last year's Rio Paralympics and
he set new world records on both the occasions. He also won a gold medal at the 2013 World Championships.
Sardar, on the other hand, has been a constant in India's fast-improving standing in international hockey.
The 31-year-old, regarded as one of the ace midfielders in the world, became the youngest player to captain the
Indian hockey team when he led the side at the 2008 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
A recipient of the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of India in 2015, Sardar has two Asian Games
medals — gold in 2014 Incheon and bronze in 2010 Guangzhou. He also has two Commonwealth Games silver
medals and was named in the International Hockey Federation's All-Star team twice in 2010, 2011.