New Delhi: Isha Outreach, the social development branch of the Coimbatore-based Isha Foundation,  received the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar for 2018 under the ‘Sports for Development’ category from President Ram Nath Kovind yesterday.

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, Founder of Isha Foundation, recieved the award on behalf of Isha Outreach, during the presentation of Sports and Adventure Awards-2018 at Rashtrapathi Bhavan in New Delhi.

At the annual National Sports Awards ceremony, the 39-year-old boxing coach C.A. Kuttappa of Mysuru, who was credited by Vijender Singh for his historic Olympic bronze in 2008, was among the eight coaches, including cricket mentor Tarak Sinha, who were conferred Dronacharya Award this year.

Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli and world champion weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu were conferred with the country’s highest sporting honour — Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award — by the President.

Star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who won gold medals in the Commonwealth and Asian Games this year, and junior world champion sprinter Hima Das were among the 20 sportspersons who received the Arjuna Awards from Ram Nath Kovind.

The ceremony, which is traditionally held on Aug.29 to commemorate the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand, was pushed to Sept.25 this year to avoid a clash of dates with the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang on Sept.2. While the Khel Ratna award carries a prize purse of Rs.7.5 lakh, the Arjuna awardees are given Rs.5 lakh each along with a citation.

List of Awardees

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award: Virat Kohli and Mirabai Chanu.

Arjuna Awards: Neeraj Chopra, Jinson Johnson and Hima Das (Athletics); N Sikki Reddy (Badminton); Satish Kumar (Boxing); Smriti Mandhana (Cricket); Shubhankar Sharma (Golf); Manpreet Singh, Savita (Hockey), Ravi Rathore (Polo), Rahi Sarnobat, Ankur Mittal, Shreyasi Singh (Shooting); Manika Batra, G Sathiyan (Table Tennis); Rohan Bopanna (Tennis); Sumit (Wrestling); Pooja Kadian (Wushu); Ankur Dhama (Para-Athletics); Manoj Sarkar (Para-Badminton).

Dronacharya Awards: C.A. Kuttappa (Boxing); Vijay Sharma (Weightlifting); A. Srinivasa Rao (Table Tennis); Sukhdev Singh Pannu (Athletics); Clarence Lobo (Hockey, Lifetime); Tarak Sinha (Cricket, Lifetime); Jiwan Kumar Sharma (Judo, Lifetime); V R Beedu (Athletics, Lifetime).

Dhyan Chand Awards: Satyadev Prasad (Archery); Bharat Kumar Chetry (Hockey); Bobby Aloysius (Athletics); Chougale Dadu Dattatray (Wrestling).

Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar2018:

1. Identification and Nurturing of Budding & Young Talent: Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited.
2. Encouragement to Sports through Corporate Social Responsibility: JSW Sports.
3. Sports for Development: Isha Outreach.
4. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy 2017-18: Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar.