Five coaches to get Dronacharya award

The central government on Tuesday confirmed the names of five eminent coaches who will be given the prestigious Dronacharya Award on National Sports Day - August 29.

Naval Singh (para-athletics), Anoop Singh (wrestling), Harbans Singh (athletics), Swatantar Raj Singh (boxing) and Nihar Ameen (swimming) will receive the award, which was instituted in 1985.

The award is to honour eminent coaches who have successfully trained sportspersons or teams and enabled them to achieve outstanding results in international competitions.

Meanwhile, Romeo James (hockey), Shiv Prakash Mishra (tennis) and T.P.P. Nair (volleyball) will be given the Dhyan Chand Award, instituted in 2002, for lifetime achievement in sports.

It is given to honour sportspersons who have outstanding achievements and continue to contribute to the promotion of sports even after their retirement.

Meanwhile, four bodies have been awarded the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar. Directorate General of Military Training for identification and nurturing of budding/young talent, Coal India Limited for encouragement to sports through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Haryana Police for employment of sportspersons and sports welfare measures and Sports Coaching Foundation, Hyderabad, for Sports for Development.

The award, introduced in 2009, are given to entities both in public and private sector and non-governmental organisations (NGO) with a view to recognising the contribution made to sports development.

"Based on the recommendations of the committee and after due scrutiny, the government has approved to confer Dronacharya Awards, Dhyan Chand Awards and Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar for 2015," said a sports ministry release.

"The awardees will receive their awards from the president of India at a specially organised function at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on August 29. Dronacharya Awardees and Dhyan Chand Awardees will receive statuettes, certificates and award money of Rs.5 lakh each. Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar awardees will receive certificates and trophies."