Rohit Sharma, Harmanpreet Kaur to be conferred with Padma Awards
Indian cricketers Rohit Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur will be conferred with Padma Awards, as confirmed by the Ministry of Home Affairs. As many as nine sportspersons will be receiving the civilian Awards.
Former India captain Rohit Sharma and current women's team skipper Harmanpreet Kaur are among the nine sportspersons who will be receiving Padma Awards for the year 2026, a press release from the Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed on Sunday, January 25. Both Sharma and Kaur will be getting the Padma Shri award.
The Ministry of Home Affairs released the list of 131 recipients of the Padma Awards. Former Indian tennis player Vijay Amritraj will be receiving the Padma Bhushan award for his unparalleled contribution to the sport. He is the only sportsperson who will receive the Padma Bhushan. Para athlete Praveen Kumar will also be conferred with the Padma Shri. Apart from these three, Baldev Singh, Bhagwandas Raikwar, K Pajanivel, Savita Punia and Vladimer Mestvirishvili will be getting the Padma Shri.
Amritraj was a popular name in Indian tennis. He helped Indian tennis chart new territory in the 1970s and ’80s, guiding India’s Davis Cup team to its only two finals appearances, in 1974 and 1987. Amritraj had also received the Padma Shri Award in 1984. He was also conferred with the Arjuna Award in 1974.
Meanwhile, legendary coach Vladimir Mestvirishvili will be conferred with the Padma Shri. He has coached several Indian Olympic medallists, including Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt and Bajrang Punia. Bhagwandas Raikwar, renowned for preserving Bundelkhand’s legendary Bundeli war art, has also been named in the list, which also features martial arts star K Pajanivel, India women's hockey team goalkeeper Savita Punia and former hockey player Baldev Singh.
PM Modi congratulates Padma Award winners
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated all the 131 Padma Award winners for their contributions to diverse fields. "Congratulations to all the Padma Awardees for their outstanding contributions to our nation. Their excellence, dedication and service across diverse fields enrich the fabric of our society," the prime minister said in a post on X.
Here is the list of sportspersons who will be conferred with the civilian awards:
Shri Vijay Amritraj - Pamda Bhushan
Shri Baldev Singh - Padma Shri
Shri Bhagwandas Raikwar - Padma Shri
Ms. Harmanpreet Kaur Bhullar - Padma Shri
Shri K Pajanivel - Padma Shri
Shri Praveen Kumar - Padma Shri
Shri Rohit Sharma - Padma Shri
Ms. Savita Punia - Padma Shri
Shri Vladimir Mestvirishvili (Posthumous) - Padma Shri
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