Ekalavya for Aaron, Raghu

“Performances -- national and international -- over the last five years were the main parameters,” said Shekhar at a press conference. “Points have been awarded for participation as well as winning medals. After a thorough study, the panel narrowed upon 15 athletes, including Raghavendra Ratnakar Anvekar in the physically challenged category.”

Apart from Aaron, hockey international Raghunath VR and swimmer Madhavi Giri are among the notable awardees who will receive Rs 50,000 in cash, a brass memento, scroll and a blazer.

Judo coach Triveni MN and fencing coach Irom Debham Singh have been chosen for the inaugural Life-time Achievement award which will carry a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh. “Sadly, until now there had been no consistency in choosing the Ekalavya awardees. From now on, however, the awards will be given every year without fail on August 29 -- coinciding with Major Dhyan Chand’s birthday, which is celebrated as the National Sports Day,” promised the sports minister. The awards committee panel included Olympian MP Ganesh, Arjuna awardee Usha Sunderraj, Karnataka Olympic Association President K Govindaraj and KOA secretary-general K Anantharaju.

The awards will be handed out by Governor HR Bharadwaj at the Raj Bhavan on Sunday.
List of awardees: Ekalavya: Kaushal Ravi Kumar (basketball, Bangalore); MS Thejkumar (chess, Mysore), Savitha N Gowdar (cycling, Bagalkot), Arun Maribashetti (equestrian, Mysore), Bindu N (fencing, Bangalore), Raghunath VR (hockey, Bangalore), L Jayanthi (kabaddi, Bangalore), Srinivasa M (kho-kho, Davangere), Aaron D’Souza (swimming, Bangalore), Madhavi Giri (swimming, Bangalore), Somnath S Girigoud (volleyball, Belgaum), Smitha Bhavakanna Patil (wrestling, Belgaum), Gyan Lakshmi Devi (weightlifting, Bangalore), Raghavendra Ratnakar Anvekar (physically challenged, Belgaum).
Life-time achievement: Triveni MN (Judo, Belgaum), Irom Debham Singh (fencing, Bangalore).