Latest news with #ArjunaAward
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Para-archer Harvinder Singh: Receiving Padma Shri at such a young age is a big achievement
Two-time Paralympic medallist Harvinder Singh created history on Tuesday by becoming the first para archer to be honoured with the Padma Shri — the country's fourth-highest civilian award. 'Itne saalon ki mehnat, all the sweat and effort that I have put in to bring glory for my country… to have all this acknowledged by the nation has filled me with pride,' says the 34-year-old. A post shared by Harvinder Singh🏹⛳️ (@harvindersingh07) For the 2024 Paris Paralympics gold medallist, this is not just a personal milestone but a moment of national recognition. 'To stand inside the Rashtrapati Bhavan and be honoured by the President of the country was a feeling that will stay with me forever. Padma Shri jeetne ke liye kaafi intezar bhi karna padh sakta hai lekin mujhe iss (young) umar mein yeh award mila, yeh mere liye ek bahut badi achievement hai,' adds Harvinder. The moment that was carved out of years of relentless pursuit was magnified by the presence of those who have silently stood by him through every rise and fall. 'Accompanying me to the ceremony were my father (Sardar Paramjeet Singh), my wife (Manpreet Kaur), and my two coaches (Jiwanjot Singh Teja and Gaurav Sharma). When I received the Arjuna Award in 2021, I missed having my family in the audience. But being at the Padma Shri reception is a huge honour, and the entire moment was made even more special because my close ones were with me.' 'Award receive karne ke baad jab main apnon ke paas aaya tab unki aankhon mein khushi dekhkar mujhe bahut garv mehsoos hua,' shares Harvinder, for whom the award is a reminder to keep the Tricolour high. 'This award has given me motivation to keep working hard and bring in a lot more medals and accolades for India. Ab aur medals jeet kar, Rashtrapati Bhavan wapas aane ka sapna hai,' he signs off.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Gallery of fame at Mahamaya stadium to honour athletes from Ghaziabad
Ghaziabad: A 'gallery of fame' featuring Ghaziabad's top-performing athletes is set to come up at the Mahamaya Sports Stadium as part of a district-level initiative to promote sports and motivate budding players. District magistrate Deepak Meena has directed the sports department to set up the gallery and also replace cash awards for athletes with customised sports equipment to support their long-term development. District sports officer Poonam Bishnoi said that the gallery will be prominently located at the entrance of the stadium. "It will be the first thing athletes see when they enter the stadium. The idea is to greet every player with stories of excellence and perseverance that have emerged from our own district. It will include framed portraits, brief biographies, and highlights of achievements of athletes who made Ghaziabad proud at national and international levels," Bishnoi said. Among those set to be featured here is Simran Sharma, a visually-impaired para athlete who won a bronze medal at the Paris Paralympics 2024 and was conferred the Arjuna Award the same year. Also to be featured are Lakshay Phogat, who clinched a silver medal at the Asian U-15 Boxing Championships in Jordan this April, and javelin thrower Pradeep Yadav of Modinagar, who bagged a silver at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like O novo dispositivo que os idosos usam para ajudar na neuropatia (dor nos nervos) A arte do herbalismo Undo Yadav, who has a motor disability, also received the Uttar Pradesh Laxman Award earlier this year. "I am extremely honoured to be part of the gallery. It's a proud moment and I hope it encourages more para athletes to aim high," he told TOI. The gallery's construction is part of a larger renovation plan for the stadium. TOI earlier reported that the state govt allocated Rs 16 crore for the stadium's overhaul in the last financial year. A detailed project report was prepared, tenders were awarded, and renovation work is set to begin soon. In a significant policy shift, the DM also said that, instead of cash prizes ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 30,000, athletes will now receive high-quality equipment suited to their discipline. "For instance, a badminton player might receive a professional-grade racket set. This will help them train more effectively," said Bishnoi.
Indian Express
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Top 10 women chess players in India: At No. 1 is the youngest Grandmaster
Top 10 women chess players in India: India has long been a chess powerhouse, producing world-class talent who have made their mark on the global stage. While legends like Viswanathan Anand and rising stars like D Gukesh often steal the spotlight, India's women chess players have been quietly and steadily making their presence felt, both at home and abroad. From prodigies dominating international tournaments to seasoned champions breaking barriers, these women have proven that chess excellence knows no gender. One of the key indicators of a player's prowess is their FIDE rating, which evaluates skill based on consistent performance against ranked the higher a player's rating, the stronger and more consistent their performance is. Here are India's top women chess players, ranked according to FIDE: Source: Forbes Koneru Humpy, born in Gudivada in 1987, showed early promise in chess, guided by her father from age six. By eight, she was winning local tournaments. In 2002, she made history as the youngest female Grandmaster at 15, breaking Judit Polgár's record. Humpy, later, became the second woman to surpass a 2600 Elo rating. Her achievements earned her the prestigious Arjuna Award and Padma Shri. Born in 1991 in Guntur, Harika Dronavalli became a Grandmaster in 2009, showcasing her chess prowess early on. She's a three-time bronze medalist at the Women's World Championship (2012, 2015, 2017) and won the FIDE Women's Grand Prix in 2016. She is the second Indian woman to cross the 2600 Elo mark and has received both the Arjuna Award and Padma Shri for her achievements. Born in 2001, Vaishali Rameshbabu earned the Grandmaster title in 2024. Alongside her brother Praggnanandhaa, they made history as the first sibling duo to both become Grandmasters and qualify for the prestigious Candidates Tournament. Divya Deshmukh, a rising star in Indian chess, earned the International Master title in 2023. One of her major achievements came in 2024 when she clinched the title at the FIDE World Junior Girls Chess Championship. She also played a key role in India's gold medal victory at the FIDE Online Chess Olympiad, further cementing her status as a promising young talent. Tania Sachdev is a renowned Indian chess player who holds the titles of Woman Grandmaster and International Master. She reached her peak FIDE rating of 2443 in September 2013. A key member of the Indian team, she contributed to their gold medal win at the 45th Chess Olympiad, hosted by the International Chess Federation in Budapest. Vantika Agrawal, born in September 2002, holds the FIDE titles of Woman Grandmaster (WGM) and International Master (IM). She has three gold medals at the Chess Olympiad, and two golds at the 45th Chess Olympiad in 2024. Agrawal also secured a silver medal with the Indian Team at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games. Her accolades extend to medals in Commonwealth, World Youth, Asian Youth, and National Championships. In recognition of her outstanding achievements, she was recently awarded the prestigious Arjuna Award. P V Nandhidhaa from Tamil Nadu, born on April 10, 1996, holds the FIDE titles of Woman Grandmaster (WGM) and Woman International Master (WIM), making her the 17th Woman Grandmaster of India. She has achieved significant success in her career, including winning an individual Gold in the Asian Chess Championship in 2022 and becoming the reigning National Women Chess Champion in 2024. She has also secured medals in Commonwealth and Asian-level tournaments across various age categories. Her peak FIDE Elo rating is 2380, and she continues to compete at a high level. Padmini Rout, born on January 5, 1994, holds the titles of International Master (IM) and Woman Grandmaster (WGM). Rout has won the National Women's Premier Championship five times and was the Asian Women's Champion in 2018. She also earned an individual gold medal at the 2014 Women's Chess Olympiad. Born in 1992, Bhakti Kulkarni holds the prestigious FIDE titles of Woman Grandmaster (2012) and International Master (2019). A recipient of the Arjuna Award for her significant contributions to chess, Kulkarni has achieved notable successes, including winning the Asian Women's Chess Championship and representing India in various international tournaments. Rakshitta Ravi, born on April 24, 2005, holds the FIDE title of Woman Grandmaster (WGM), which she achieved in April 2023. Her parents, T S Ravi and Sai Meera Ravi, are both titled chess players. Rakshitta earned her Woman International Master (WIM) title at 13 and her WGM title at 17, making her India's 24th Woman Grandmaster.
Indian Express
21-05-2025
- Indian Express
Punjab cop-turned-drug lord Jagdish Bhola granted bail by high court
The Punjab and Haryana High Court Wednesday granted bail to dismissed Punjab Police deputy superintendent Jagdish Singh Bhola, who has been behind bars since 2013 on charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. In 2019, a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mohali convicted him in three drug-related cases and sentenced him to a total of 24 years' rigorous imprisonment, with sentences to run concurrently. He was convicted again in 2024 in a money laundering case under the PMLA and handed a 10-year sentence. A bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel passed the order in a criminal appeal, noting, 'More than half the period of sentence of RI five years and two months have undisputedly been suffered by the appellant.' The court also cited the lack of any possibility of the appeal being heard in the near future as a key reason for the grant of bail. Bhola, once a celebrated wrestler and recipient of the Arjuna Award, was dismissed from the police force in 2004 after the recovery of poppy husk. Over the years, he has been implicated in multiple high-profile cases of drug trafficking and money laundering. His name surfaced prominently in a Rs 700-crore synthetic drug racket in Punjab, leading to several FIRs against him in Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Mohali. While granting bail in the present appeal under the NDPS Act, the high court imposed stringent conditions. Bhola is required to furnish a bail bond of Rs 5 lakh along with two sureties of the same amount, both of whom must be local. He must report to the concerned police station once a month and surrender his passport to the trial court. If his passport is unavailable or expired, he must submit an affidavit to that effect before release. Additionally, the court directed Bhola to undertake community service by planting 100 trees and filing a compliance report within 15 days. Any failure to comply may lead to cancellation of bail, the court warned. This was Bhola's second bail application on merits in this case. His prolonged incarceration—over 11 years and six months—was a significant factor in the court's decision to allow him bail at this stage.
Hans India
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
'Why PM Modi was not there in our era', Olympic medalist Malleswari shares what changed after 2014
New Delhi: India's first female Olympic medalist, Karnam Malleswari, was left ecstatic and overjoyed when Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a visit to her sports academy in Haryana's Yamunanagar, and conveyed his best wishes and support in the grooming of aspiring sportspersons at her training institute. Malleswari, the country's weightlifting icon, on Tuesday shared an instance of the changing dynamics and support apparatus for various sports after 2014, when Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, and also went to rue as to why the sportsmen of her era didn't have the support of a warm and affable leader like him. In a video shared by Modi Story, a popular social media handle on X, Karnam Malleswari recounts how her request to PM Modi was immediately acknowledged and responded to. She also explains how PM Modi's encouraging words pump up the sportsmen and also how his comforting words mean a lot to them in troubled times. "Before 2014, athletes chased their dreams in silence - training hard, winning medals, yet receiving little support. Today, PM Modi not only sees their struggles - he stands by them, supports them, and celebrates their spirit," the Modi Story wrote on X. Sharing her story, Malleswari said, "I wrote a letter to PM Modi, seeking his visit to my Sports Academy in Yamunangar. But I was doubtful about it, given his busy schedule. One Sunday, I received a call from the Prime Minister's Office and was told that my letter had been acknowledged and that he would be meeting me very soon." "The day I met PM Modi was very special. He not only reassured us of all support but also made us feel comfortable. He touched my forehead and gave us all his blessings," she said, recounting the last month's event. She further said that before 2014, the sporting fraternity had to struggle a lot, but now the focus on games and sports has seen a 360-degree change. "PM Modi himself takes the lead, meets sportspersons and pats their back and even consoles them in difficult times. This makes me feel as to -- why there was no leader like PM Modi during our era," she said in the video. Karnam, a two-time world champion and a two-time Asian Games silver medal winner, holds the distinguished honour of being the first woman from India to win a medal at the Olympics. She bagged the bronze medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. She has been conferred with numerous prestigious awards by the Indian government, including the Arjuna Award (1994), Khel Ratna (1999) and the Padma Shri (1999).
