New Delhi, Jan 17 India men's hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh termed it as an "unforgettable moment", receiving the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award from the Honourable President of India Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here on Friday.
Harmanpreet, who led the Indian men's team to a second successive bronze medal in the Olympics in Paris last year, said it was a dream come true for him to get the award because it is named after the greatest hockey player, the legendary Major Dhyan Chand, who won gold medals in three successive Olympic Games from 1928 to 1936.
"An unforgettable moment at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, receiving the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award from the Honourable President of India. To be honoured with an award named after the greatest hockey legend is a dream come true," said Harmanpreet in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
"This one is for the team, the fans, my family, and Indian hockey!" he said.
The 29-year-old Harmanpreet received the highest sports award in the country along with shooter Manu Bhaker, para-athlete and Paralympic Games gold medallist Praveen Kumar, and World Chess Champion Dommaraju Gukesh.
Harmanpreet Singh was part of the Indian team that broke a four-decade-long drought at the Olympics by winning the bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. He later led the Indian team to another bronze medal in the Paris Olympic Games in 2024 as India won medals in successive Olympic Games after 1972 at Munich. India beat Spain 2-1 in the bronze medal match in Paris, coming back from a goal down.
Harmanpreet Singh's teammate and fellow defender Jarmanpreet Singh received the Arjuna Award.
Apart from Jarmanpreet, 31 athletes including 17 para-athletes were conferred with the Arjuna Award. Paris Olympics bronze medallist rifle shooter Swapnil Kusale was among the recipients. He became the first Indian shooter to bag a medal in the 50m Rifle 3 Position (3P) men’s event at the Olympics.
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