OL. RAVI RATHORE MAKES THE INDIAN POLO FRATERNITY PROUD BY BEING NOMINATED FOR THE ARJUNA AWARD IN POLO
Col. Ravi Rathore holds the place of distinction as he comes up as the highest handicap polo player from the Indian Army. Not only this, but Col. Ravi Rathore’s excellent skill with the horses and mallet led him to hold the position of the Honorable Secretary of the Indian Polo Association (IPA). Col. Ravi Rathore has also been the captain of the Indian Polo Team for the zone ‘E’ playoffs, and definitely, he had earned the position with all the perseverance he has put in polishing the sport and bringing it back to the country. Today, Col. Ravi Rathore received the prestigious Arjuna Award from President Ram Nath Kovind at National Sports Awards.
Other Players Who Won Awards At The National Sports Awards
Based on the recommendations of the Committee and after due scrutiny, the Government has decided to confer awards upon the following sportspersons, coaches and entities:
(i) Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna 2018
1.Ms. S. Mirabai Chanu = Weightlifting
2.Shri Virat Kohli = Cricket
(ii) Dronacharya Awards 2018
1.Subedar Chenanda Achaiah Kuttappa = Boxing
2.Shri Vijay Sharma = Weightlifting
3.Shri A. Srinivasa Rao = Table Tennis
4.Shri Sukhdev Singh Pannu = Athletics
6.Shri Clarence Lobo = Hockey (Life Time)
7.Shri Tarak Sinha = Cricket (Life Time)
8.Shri Jiwan Kumar Sharma = Judo (Life Time)
9.Shri V.R. Beedu = Athletics (Life Time)
(iii) Arjuna Awards 2018
1.Shri Neeraj Chopra = Athletics
2.Naib Subedar Jinson Johnson = Athletics
3.Ms. Hima Das = Athletics 4.Ms. Nelakurthi Sikki Reddy = Badminton
5.Subedar Satish Kumar = Boxing
6.Ms. Smriti Mandhana = Cricket
7.Shri Shubhankar Sharma = Golf
8.Shri Manpreet Singh = Hockey
9.Ms. Savita = Hockey
10.Col. Ravi Rathore = Polo
11.Ms. Rahi Sarnobat = Shooting
12.Shri Ankur Mittal = Shooting
13.Ms. Shreyasi Singh = Shooting
14.Ms. Manika Batra = Table Tennis
15.Shri G. Sathiyan = Table Tennis
16.Shri Rohan Bopanna = Tennis
17.Shri Sumit = Wrestling
18.Ms. Pooja Kadian = Wushu
19.Shri Ankur Dhama = Para-Athletics
19.Shri Manoj Sarkar = Para-Badminton
(iv) Dhyan Chand Award 2018
1.Shri Satyadev Prasad = Archery
2.Shri Bharat Kumar Chetri = Hockey
3.Ms. Bobby Aloysius= Athletics
4.Shri Chougale Dadu Dattatray = Wrestling
(vi) Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2018
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
17th September 2018
The 17th of September 2018 wrapped up as a memorable day for the Indian Polo Fraternity, as Col. Ravi Rathore (+5 handicap) was nominated for the prestigious Arjuna Award for his spellbinding performance in the field of Polo. This year it was as if the history was created once again after a long interval. LA POLO brings you the list of all the Arjuna Awardees in Polo from the past:
| YEAR | NAME OF THE POLO PLAYER |
|---|---|
| 1961 | Shri. Prem Singh |
| 1963 | Maj. Thakur Kishan Singh |
| 1964 | Shri. Hanut Singh |
| 1975 | Major V. P. Singh |
| 1983 | Lt. Col. R. S. Sodhi |
| 1987 | Lt. Col. K.S. Garcha |
| 2012 | Samir Suhag |
| 2018 | Col. Ravi Rathore |
ABOUT ARJUNA AWARD
The Arjuna Awards started in 1961, which is since then awarded by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government Of India. The award recognises the brilliant works and achievements in the realm of sports. The Arjuna Award carries a cash prize of worth ₹ 500,000 along with a scroll as well as a bronze statue of Arjuna.The Arjuna Award originally takes places on the 29th September every year, in honor of the birth anniversary of hockey player Dhyan Chand. But these dates can be altered due to Olympics, Asian Games or Commonwealth Games. Hence, this year the award ceremony will be commenced on the 25th September