Deepa Malik receives Khel Ratna, Punia misses ceremony for training

TIL Desk Sports/ Asian and Commonwealth Games gold medallist wrestler Bajrang Punia and Paralympics silver medallist athlete Deepa Malik were awarded the country’s highest sporting honour — Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna — on the occasion of National Sports Day at an awards ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Thursday.

While Deepa received the award herself, Punia had to skip the ceremony as he is presently training in Russia for the upcoming World Championships. He will receive the award from Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju on his return from the World Championships to be held in Kazakhstan from September 14.

Apart from Deepa and Punia, 19 sportspersons were conferred with the Arjuna Award, including shuttler B. Sai Praneeth, who recently settled for bronze at the BWF World Championships ending India’s 36-year wait for a medal in the men’s section of the meet, cricketers Ravindra Jadeja and Poonam Yadav, track and field stars Tejinder Pal Singh Toor, Mohammed Anas and Swapna Barman, footballer Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, hockey player Chinglensana Singh Kangujam and shooter Anjum Moudgil.