Overview
- The selection committee in New Delhi finalized the recommendations, with honours to be conferred at the awards ceremony.
- Chess champion Divya Deshmukh, decathlete Tejaswin Shankar, fellow chess player Vidit Gujrathi, shooter Mehuli Ghosh, and the women’s doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand headline the 24 Arjuna picks.
- Yogasan records a first as national and Asian champion Aarti Pal is proposed for the Arjuna after the discipline’s recognition by the Sports Ministry five years ago.
- The panel featured IOA vice-president Gagan Narang along with former internationals Aparna Popat and M M Somaya.
- Hardik Singh’s selection reflects his role in India’s Tokyo 2021 and Paris 2024 Olympic medal runs and this year’s Asia Cup gold, while the Khel Ratna and Arjuna carry cash prizes of Rs 25 lakh and Rs 15 lakh.