The sports ministry has decided to confer the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award to Para Athlete Devendra Jhajharia and celebrated former hockey captain Sardar Singh. The ministry also released the list of 7 Dronacharya awardees for coaches and 17 Arjuna awardees from different fields of sports.
Devendra Jhajharia has become the first paralympian to get India’s highest sporting honour. Javelin thrower Jhajharia is the first Indian to win two Paralympic gold medals. Though he was the first choice of the awards selection committee, the members had also picked hockey midfielder Sardar Singh as its second nominee for the top honour. The award now goes jointly to Jhajharia and Singh.
A recipient of the Padma Shri in 2015, Sardar Singh has two Asian Games medals — gold in 2014 Incheon and bronze in 2010 Guangzhou. He also has two Commonwealth Games silver medals and was named in the International Hockey Federation’s All-Star team twice in 2010, 2011.
Both the recipients of Khel Ratna Award will recieve a medal, a citation and a cash prize of Rs. 7.5 lakh.
The Dhyan Chand Award for life-time contribution to sports development will be awarded to Bhupender Singh for Athletics, Syed Shahid Hakim for Football and Sumarai Tete for Hockey.
Arjuna, Dronacharya and Dhyan Chand Awardees will received statuettes, certificates and cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh each.
A complete list of award winners of 2017:
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna 2017
| S. No. | Name of the Awardee | discipline |
| 1. | Shri Devendra | Para Athlete |
| 2. | Shri Sardar Singh | Hockey |
Dronacharya Awards 2017
| S. No. | Name of the Awardee | Discipline |
| 1. | Late Dr. R. Gandhi | Athletics |
| 2. | Mr. Heera Nand Kataria | Kabaddi |
| 3. | Mr. G.S.S.V. Prasad | Badminton (Lifetime) |
| 4. | Mr. Brij Bhushan Mohanty | Boxing (Lifetime) |
| 5. | Mr. P.A. Raphel | Hockey (Lifetime) |
| 6. | Mr. Sanjoy Chakraverthy | Shooting (Lifetime) |
| 7. | Mr. Roshan Lal | Wrestling (Lifetime) |
Arjuna Awards 2017
| S. No. | Name of the Awardees | Discipline |
| 1. | Ms. V.J. Surekha | Archery |
| 2. | Ms. Khushbir Kaur | Athletics |
| 3. | Mr. Arokia Rajiv | Athletics |
| 4. | Ms. Prashanti Singh | Basketball |
| 5. | Sub. LaishramDebendro Singh | Boxing |
| 6. | Mr. CheteshwarPujara | Cricket |
| 7. | Ms. Harmanpreet Kaur | Cricket |
| 8. | Ms. OinamBembem Devi | Football |
| 9. | Mr. S.S.P. Chawrasia | Golf |
| 10. | Mr. S.V. Sunil | Hockey |
| 11. | Mr. Jasvir Singh | Kabaddi |
| 12. | Mr. P. N. Prakash | Shooting |
| 13. | Mr. A. Amalraj | Table Tennis |
| 14. | Mr. SakethMyneni | Tennis |
| 15. | Mr. SatyawartKadian | Wrestling |
| 16. | Mr. Mariyappan | Para-Athlete |
| 17. | Mr. Varun Singh Bhati | Para-Athlete |
Dhyan Chand Award
| S. No. | Name (S/Shri) | Discipline |
| 1 . | Mr. Bhupender Singh | Athletics |
| 2. | Mr. Syed Shahid Hakim | Football |
| 3. | Ms. Sumarai Tete | Hockey |
Amazing facts. Kudos.