Hokato Hotozhe Sema, a bronze medallist from Nagaland at the Paralympics, has been awarded the 2024 Arjuna Award winner for exceptional performance in sports and games. The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports made the statement Thursday. On January 17 at 11 AM, the President of India will give the prizes at a special event held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. At the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, Hokato won a bronze medal in the men’s shot put F57 division.
According to the government, the recipients were chosen based on suggestions made by a committee that included administrators, seasoned sports journalists, and prominent athletes. The committee was chaired by Justice (Retd.) V. Ramasubramanian. The Arjuna Award will be given to 31 athletes this year. Chandigarh University has been proclaimed the champion of the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy, which recognizes the university that performs the best during the Khelo India University Games.
The first runner-up is Lovely Professional University, and the second runner-up is Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced on Thursday that President Droupadi Murmu will present the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2024 to World Chess champion Gukesh D. and the medallists from the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, Manu Bhaker (shooting), Harmanpreet Singh (hockey), and Praveen Kumar (para-athlete), at a specially planned event at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 17.
