PR Sreejesh awarded Padma Bhushan, Ravichandran Ashwin among four sports stars honored with Padma Shri

Former Indian men's hockey captain PR Sreejesh was awarded the Padma Bhushan, while recently retired cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin was among the recipients of the Padma Shri.

New Delhi: Former Indian men’s hockey captain PR Sreejesh was awarded the Padma Bhushan, while recently retired cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin was among the recipients of the Padma Shri. A total of four athletes and a para-coach were included in the list of 139 individuals who were honoured with the prestigious civilian awards on Saturday. Additionally, football legend I M Vijayan and India’s first Paralympic gold medal-winning archer Harvinder Singh were also conferred with the Padma Shri.

Para-athletics coach Satyapal Singh, who played a key role in mentoring high-jumper Praveen Kumar, a gold medalist at the Paris Paralympics and recipient of the Khel Ratna award, has also been honoured with the Padma Shri.

The 36-year-old PR Sreejesh, who retired after securing his second consecutive Olympic bronze with the Indian hockey team in Paris, now serves as the head coach of the junior men’s team. Ravichandran Ashwin, 38, bid farewell to international cricket during the Border-Gavaskar series in Australia, concluding his career as India’s second-highest wicket-taker in Tests with 537 wickets across 106 matches.

These five distinguished individuals were selected for the Padma awards by President Droupadi Murmu ahead of the 76th Republic Day celebrations. The Padma Bhushan, awarded to Sreejesh, Ashwin, and others, is the third-highest civilian award, ranking after the Bharat Ratna and Padma Vibhushan.

The Padma Awards recognize exceptional contributions to society in various fields. This year’s list includes seven Padma Vibhushan recipients, 19 Padma Bhushan awardees, and 113 Padma Shri honorees.