AITA recommends Vijay Amritraj for Dhyan Chand Award

The All India Tennis Association (AITA) Thursday recommended former player Vijay Amritraj for the Dhyan Chand Award and the country's top singles player Somdev Devvarman for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.

The Dhyan Chand Award is India's highest award for lifetime achievement in sports while the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna is the highest honour given for achievement in sports.

Amritraj, with his brother Anand, reached the men's doubles semifinals of Wimbledon in 1976. He twice reached the quarterfinals in men's singles at Wimbledon (1973, 1981) and US Open (1973, 1974). He became a commentator after retirement.

Devvarman's first real claim to fame was at the 2009 Chennai Open where he reached the men's singles final. In 2010, he won the Commonwealth Games gold, following it up with both men's singles and doubles gold at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou.

Meanwhile, current national coach and Olympian Zeeshan Ali and Afro-Asian Games women's doubles gold medallist Rushmi Chakravarthi have been recommended for the Arjuna Award.

Veteran coach and former national champion Nandal Bal has been nominated for the Dronacharya Award.