India’s star cricketers Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma were conferred with the Arjuna Award for their performances this year and the previous year respectively by the Sports Minister Vijay Goel at New Delhi on Friday.
Rahane and Sharma, who have been named in the Indian team for the three-Test series against New Zealand, beginning on 22 September, were honoured with the Arjuna Awards at a function held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
They could not receive the Arjuna Awards from the President of India earlier, as they were participating in international tournaments. Speaking on the occasion, Goel said that while there’s no doubt that cricket is among the most popular games in India, the current government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed to promote other sports as well.
He said the recent success of the country’s athletes at the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro has made every Indian proud.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)