Sharath Kamal, Lakshya Sen, Nikhat Zareen and others get prestigious National Sports awards

New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday conferred national sports awards to Indian table tennis veteran Sharath Kamal, boxing world champion Nikhat Zareen, badminton ace Lakshya Sen, along with 38 other sportspersons, coaches and institutions at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in Delhi.

Sharath Kamal, who won three gold medals and a silver at the Commonwealth Games 2022 earlier this year, has been conferred with India's highest sporting honour, the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award.

Apart from Sharath, 25 sportspersons were presented with the Arjuna Award, given out for consistent performance over a period of four years.

Boxing sensation Nikhat Zareen, who became the world champion in May, Lakshya Sen, the men's singles badminton gold medallist at Commonwealth Games 2022, and the 2019 world silver medallist boxer Amit Panghal were among the recipients of the Arjuna Award.

Apart from these three, Triple jumper Eldhose Paul and steeplechaser Avinash Sable were also conferred with the Arjuna Award.

While Eldhose became the first Indian to win a CWG gold in the men's triple jump and became the first Indian to qualify for the final of the triple jump at the World Athletics Championships, Avinash Sable won a silver in the men's 3000m steeplechase and broke the Kenyan monopoly on the podium in the sport in the Birmingham CWG.

India cricket team captain Rohit Sharma's coach Dinesh Lad received the Dronacharya Award in the lifetime category.