New Delhi: World Cup-winning former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag, former hockey midfielder Sardar Singh, 2016 Rio Paralympics silver medallist Deepa Malik are among the names that make up the selection committee for the National Sports Awards this year, the Sports Ministry announced on Friday.
The committee, to be chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Mukundakam Sharma, also includes Arjuna Award-winning former table tennis player Monalisa Baruah and former boxer Venkatesh Devarajan, who won the Arjuna Award in 1995.
The Sports Ministry's release read, "The Members include eminent names from the field of Indian Sports including Virender Sehwag (Cricket), Sardar Singh (Hockey), Monalisa Baruah Mehta (Table Tennis), Deepa Malik (Para-athletics), Venkatesan Devarajan (Boxing) as well as well-known media persons including Sports Commentator Manish Batavia and Sports Journalists Alok Sinha and Neeru Bhatia."
The committee will be tasked with selecting awardees for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Dronacharya Awards, Arjuna Awards, Dhyan Chand Awards, Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar Award and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy for the year 2020.
Officials from the Sports Ministry on the committee include Sports Authority of India (SAI) Director General Sandip Pradhan, Joint Secretary (Sports Development) LS Singh and Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) CEO Commander Rajesh Rajagopalan.
The media persons on the committee are sports commentator Manish Batavia and journalists Alok Sinha and Neeru Bhatia.
Two additional members, who have been Dronacharya Awardees, may be invited by the chairperson while considering the nomination for Dronacharya Award.
