D Gukesh was among the four athletes along with Manu Bhaker, Harmanpreet Singh and Praveen Kumar to be honoured with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
In Short
- D Gukesh had become the youngest world champion.
- Gukesh defeated Ding Liren in the title clash
- Gukesh became the second world champion from India
More about Dommaraju Gukesh see Wikipedia Article: Gukesh Dommaraju History.
World Chess Champion D Gukesh selected for Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. D Gukesh is one of the four athletes,
Along with which shooter Manu Bhakar, hockey player Harmanpreet Singh and Paralympian Praveen Kumar will be honored with the prestigious award at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on 17 January 2025.
Back in December 2024,
De Gukesh became the youngest world champion by defeating Ding Liren of China in the final in Singapore. Who won the title in 1985 at the age of 22. The 18-year-old became the second Indian after veteran Viswanathan Anand to win the title.
After being nominated for the Khel Ratna Award,
D Gukesh said this has motivated him to keep working hard.
D Gukesh said in a statement, “I am extremely honored to know that the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has announced the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award for me and to recognize my achievements.
I would like to thank the Government of India, Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji and Honorable Sports Minister for their recognition.
He said, “This award will motivate me to work even harder and achieve more for the country in 2025. It means a lot to me and my family and my team. Thank you very much,” Gukesh said.
Gukesh and Ding reached the final game of the match with 6.5 points each. The 14th game, in which Ding played with the white pieces, seemed destined for a draw until Ding made a crucial mistake on the 53rd move. Gukesh’s strategy of keeping the pressure on Ding, who was a pawn, eventually paid off, leading to an unforced error from last year’s world champion in the closing stages.
On January 2, the Sports Ministry released the list of players who will be given Khel Ratna, Arjuna and Dronacharya awards on January 17. Of these, four players will be given Khel Ratna, 32 players will be given Arjuna Award and three coaches will be given Dronacharya Award.
Controversy had erupted over Manu Bhaker’s exclusion from the list of nominees for the prestigious Khel Ratna award.
However, Manu Bhaker addressed the controversy in a statement, clarifying that she was not concerned with the awards and was focused on winning more awards for the country.
Proud of the country’s daughter Manu Bhakar who is loyal to the country even though her name is not in the list.
I also proud of D. Gukesh.