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New Delhi, January 25
Former Asian Games gold medal-winning wrestler Satpal, who also coached inspirational Sushil Kumar, was Sunday named for the prestigious Padma Bhushan award, while national hockey team captain Sardar Singh and two-time badminton World Championships bronze medallist PV Sinhdu were among the five sportspersons chosen for this year's Padma Shri awards.
Former women's hockey captain Saba Anjum, Arunima Sinha — the first woman amputee mountaineer to climb Mount Everest in 2013 — and Indian women's cricket team skipper Mithali Raj were the other sportspersons selected for this year's Padma Shri awards.
However, India's only two-time individual Olympic medal winner Sushil Kumar and 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Saina Nehwal, who controversially appeared to be in contention for the country's third highest civilian award, didn't find their names in the list. The 59-year-old Satpal was a trail-blazer in Indian wrestling, winning the bronze medal in the 1974 Asian Games and then improving his performance by striking gold in the 1982 Asiad.
Sixteen-time national champion Satpal was conferred the Arjuna Award in 1974, Padma Shri in 1983, and the Dronacharya award in 2009 in a glittering career both as a player and coach.
Among the Padma Shri award winners, the 28-year-old Sardar Singh led his side to the nation's first Asian Games gold in 16 years by defeating arch-rivals and defending champions Pakistan in the final. With this achievement India also became the first team to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics. — PTI
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