Who among the following were selected for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award 2019?
- (a)Vijay Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt
- (b)Sakshi Malik and Jitu Rai
- (c)Virat Kohli and Mirabai Chanu
- (d)Bajrang Punia and Deepa Malik
Correct — D, Bajrang Punia and Deepa Malik. The 2019 Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award — India's highest sporting honour, which was renamed the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in August 2021 — was conferred jointly on wrestler Bajrang Punia and para-athlete Deepa Malik. Deepa Malik, a shot-putter who won Paralympic silver at Rio 2016, became the first female para-athlete to receive the award.
- (a)Vijay Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt — Shooter Vijay Kumar and wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt received the Khel Ratna in 2012, not 2019.
- (b)Sakshi Malik and Jitu Rai — Wrestler Sakshi Malik and shooter Jitu Rai were among the 2016 Khel Ratna awardees, not 2019.
- (c)Virat Kohli and Mirabai Chanu — Cricketer Virat Kohli and weightlifter Mirabai Chanu were the 2018 Khel Ratna awardees, the year before this award.
The Khel Ratna is India's highest award for performance in sports, given for the most outstanding sportsperson(s) over a period; it may be shared in a year. Known as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna until 2021, it was then renamed the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
The distractors are all genuine Khel Ratna winners from other years, so the item rewards knowing the specific 2019 recipients — Bajrang Punia and Deepa Malik — rather than merely recognising famous athletes.
- In 2019 the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna went jointly to Bajrang Punia (wrestling) and Deepa Malik (para-athletics).
- Deepa Malik was the first female para-athlete to receive the award.
- She won shot-put silver at the Rio 2016 Paralympics — India's first female Paralympic medallist.
- The award was renamed the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in August 2021.
All the options are real Khel Ratna winners, but only Bajrang Punia and Deepa Malik belong to 2019.
- Picking a famous athlete from the wrong year — the option cricketer/weightlifter pair belongs to 2018.
- Forgetting the award was renamed after Major Dhyan Chand in 2021.
Current-affairs 'who won in year X', or matching sports awards to their purpose and recipients.
Consider the following pairs with regard to sports awards: 1. Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award : For the most spectacular and outstanding performance by a sportsperson over period of last four years 2. Arjuna Award : For the lifetime achievement by a sportsperson 3. Dronacharya Award : To honour eminent coaches who have successfully trained sportspersons or teams 4. Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar : To recognize the contribution made by sportspersons even after their retirement. How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
- (a) Only one
- (b) Only two
- (c) Only three
- (d) All four
Answer(b) Only two
Tests the same national sports awards, including the Khel Ratna's role, which this NDA item examines through its 2019 recipients.
- practice — not a real PYQ
In 2021, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award was renamed after
- (a)Milkha Singh
- (b)Major Dhyan Chand
- (c)Dhyan Chand's brother Roop Singh
- (d)Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Answer(b) Major Dhyan Chand — the hockey legend, giving the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Deepa Malik, a 2019 Khel Ratna awardee, won her Paralympic silver medal in which event?
- (a)Javelin throw
- (b)Shot put
- (c)100 m sprint
- (d)Archery
Answer(b) Shot put — she won F53 shot-put silver at the Rio 2016 Paralympics.