Sardar, Sindhu get Padma Shri award

New Delhi, March 30

Former Asian Games gold medal-winning wrestler Satpal, who has coached two-time Olympic medal winner Sushil Kumar, was honoured with the country’s prestigious Padma Bhushan award by President Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here today.

Apart from Satpal, national hockey team captain Sardar Singh, two-time badminton World Championships bronze medallist PV Sinhdu and Arunima Sinha, the first woman amputee mountaineer to climb Mount Everest, were conferred the Padma Shri awards.

The Padma awards, which are generally announced on the eve of Republic Day every year, had named five sportspersons for the Padma Shri awards. At the ceremony today, Sardar, Sindhu and Arunima were honoured. 

The names of other two sportswomen — former hockey captain Saba Anjum and Indian cricket team skipper Mithali Raj — were not there in the official list that was released by the Press Information Bureau on Monday.

The 59-year-old Satpal is a trail-blazing figure in Indian wrestling, winning the bronze medal in the 1974 Asian Games and then improving his performance by striking gold in the 1982 Asian Games.

Continuing his contribution for the country’s ancient sport, he established an ‘akhada’ in Chhatrasal Stadium, which produced Sushil.

An elated Sardar said: “It is a great honour for me and I would take this opportunity to thank Hockey India for giving me the support which boosted my morale.”

“Also, I must give credit of my success to the coaches, who have guided me and tirelessly worked with me during my journey in hockey. I am proud to have been received this award and will work harder to get more laurels for Indian hockey,” the 28-year-old said. — IANS