M A I N   N E W S

Anju wins Khel Ratna Award
Rathore, Harbhajan among Arjuna awardees

New Delhi, September 15
Long jumper Anju Bobby George today won the highest sporting award of the country — Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna — while Olympic silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and cricketer Harbhajan Singh figured in the list of 15 Arjuna Award winners announced here today.

The 27-year-old Anju was chosen for the prestigious award for 2003 ahead of 12 other contenders, which included Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly and Rathore.

It was double delight for the Keralite as her husband and personal trainer Robert Bobby George was selected for the Dronacharya Award along with three others — Anoop Kumar (boxing), Rajinder Singh (hockey) and Sukhchain Singh Cheema (wrestling).

Besides Harbhajan, national women's team captain Mithali Raj was the other cricketer to figure in the award winners’ list announced here by H.P.S. Ahluwalia, Chairman of the selection committee for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna and Dhayan Chand awards.

The awards would be presented by President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam at Rashtrapati Bhavan on September 21.

The winners:

Dronacharya Award: Robert Bobby George (athletics), Anoop Kumar (boxing), Rajinder Singh (hockey), Sukhchain Singh Cheema (wrestling).

Arjuna Award: Soma Biswas (athletics), Madhuri Saxena (athletics), Pankaj Advani (cue sports), M.C. Merrycom (boxing), Koneru Humpy (chess), Rajesh Pattu (equestrian), Devesh Chauhan (hockey), Surajlata Devi (hockey), Akram Shah (judo), Sanjeev Kumar (kabaddi), Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (shooting), Harbhajan Singh (cricket), Mithali Raj (cricket), Shokinder Tomar (wrestling), N.M. Srinivas Rao (paralympic games).

Dhyan Chand Award: Labh Singh (athletics), Hardayal Singh (hockey), M.D. Parsuram (physically handicapped).

Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards:

Lifetime Achievement Award: Bula Chowdhary

Land Adventure: Brian Dermot Kharpran Daly

Water Adventure: Relu Ram Thakur.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy: Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. — PTI