Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma and woman wrestler Vinesh Phogat were among five&nbsp; sportspersons recommended on Tuesday for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award 2020, India’s highest sporting honour.&nbsp;

Indian women's&nbsp;hockey team captain Rani Rampal, woman table-tennis star Manika Batra and Rio Paralympic gold-winning high jumper Mariappan Thangavelu were the other three athletes recommended for the prestigious award by a 12-member selection committee of the Sports Ministry.

This is the first time ever where five&nbsp;athletes have been recommended for India’s highest sporting honour.

In 2016, star shuttler PV Sindhu, Dipa Karmakar, Jitu Rai and Sakshi Malik were collectively handed the top award. 
Rohit Sharma, 33, will become the fourth cricketer after Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli to be conferred with the Khel Ratna. Tendulkar was the first Indian cricketer to be awarded the Khel Ratna back in 1998 followed by Dhoni in 2007 and Kohli in 2018, who jointly was awarded the top accolade with weightlifter Mirabai Chanu.

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The 12-member selection committee comprising the likes of Virender Sehwag and former hockey skipper Sardar Singh, met at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) headquarters in New Delhi.

Rohit has been awarded for his sky-touching accomplishments on the cricket field. Whereas Vinesh has been rewarded for her gold medals in 2018 Commonwealth and Asian Games along with bronze in the 2019 Asian Wrestling Championships.&nbsp;

Thangavelu, on the other hand, has been recognized for his gold medal in 2016 Rio Paralympics in the T42 high-jump event.

Star paddler Manika was recommended for her remarkable performance in 2018, a year during which she won the Commonwealth Games gold medal and Asian Games bronze in women's singles.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma and woman wrestler Vinesh Phogat were among five sportspersons recommended on Tuesday for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award 2020, India’s highest sporting honour.

Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma and woman wrestler Vinesh Phogat were among five sportspersons recommended on Tuesday for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award 2020, India’s highest sporting honour. Indian women's hockey team captain Rani Rampal, woman table-tennis star Manika Batra and Rio Paralympic gold-winning high jumper Mariappan Thangavelu were the other three athletes recommended for the prestigious award by a 12-member selection committee of the Sports Ministry. This is the first time ever where five athletes have been recommended for India’s highest sporting honour. In 2016, star shuttler PV Sindhu, Dipa Karmakar, Jitu Rai and Sakshi Malik were collectively handed the top award. Rohit Sharma, 33, will become the fourth cricketer after Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli to be conferred with the Khel Ratna. Tendulkar was the first Indian cricketer to be awarded the Khel Ratna back in 1998 followed by Dhoni in 2007 and Kohli in 2018, who jointly was awarded the top accolade with weightlifter Mirabai Chanu. ALSO READ: Dream11 awarded title sponsorship for IPL 2020 with a bid of INR 222 crore, confirms Brijesh Patel The 12-member selection committee comprising the likes of Virender Sehwag and former hockey skipper Sardar Singh, met at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) headquarters in New Delhi. Rohit has been awarded for his sky-touching accomplishments on the cricket field. Whereas Vinesh has been rewarded for her gold medals in 2018 Commonwealth and Asian Games along with bronze in the 2019 Asian Wrestling Championships. Thangavelu, on the other hand, has been recognized for his gold medal in 2016 Rio Paralympics in the T42 high-jump event. Star paddler Manika was recommended for her remarkable performance in 2018, a year during which she won the Commonwealth Games gold medal and Asian Games bronze in women's singles.

Rohit Sharma, Vinesh Phogat among five recommended for Khel Ratna Award

India's table tennis star Manika Batra was on Tuesday recommended for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award by the national federation TTFI.

Manika, who missed out on India's highest sporting honour last year, is the first woman paddler from her country to win a singles gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. She achieved the feat in the 2018 edition in which she won as many four medals including two gold medal.

In the same edition held in Gold Coast, the 24-year-old had led India to its first ever women's team gold at the Commonwealth Games. Five months later, the current world number 63 created more history by winning a mixed doubles bronze alongside Sharath Kamal at the Asian Games in Jakarta.

"We feel she deserves the honour and that is why decided to nominate her for the second time," TTFI secretary general M P Singh told PTI.

In 2019, wrestler Bajrang Punia and para-athlete Deepa Malik got the highest sporting award.

The federation has recommended veteran Madhurika Patkar, Manav Thakkar and Suthirtha Mukherjee for the Arjuna Award. Mukherjee recently broke into the top-100 of the ITTF world rankings.

Coaches Jayanta Pushilal and S Raman have been nominated for the Dronacharya honour.

A panel formed by the Sports Ministry will shortlist the nominations received from various national federations with the awards to be presented on National Sports Day, August 29

Meanwhile, the TTFI has received another 'no' from players after being asked about their availability to join the national camp. Following central government's decision to open sports stadiums and complexes without spectators, the TTFI had sough players' availability twice, first for beginning of June and then for June last week.

Considering the COVID-19 cases continue to rise in India, players are not comfortable travelling anytime before August. 
"They have conveyed to us that they are not ready for the camp till August. We respect their decision," Singh added.&nbsp;

World body ITTF has suspended all its activities until July end due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

India's table tennis star Manika Batra was on Tuesday recommended for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award by the national federation TTFI. Manika, who missed out on India's highest sporting honour last year, is the first woman paddler from her country to win a singles gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.

India's table tennis star Manika Batra was on Tuesday recommended for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award by the national federation TTFI. Manika, who missed out on India's highest sporting honour last year, is the first woman paddler from her country to win a singles gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. She achieved the feat in the 2018 edition in which she won as many four medals including two gold medal. In the same edition held in Gold Coast, the 24-year-old had led India to its first ever women's team gold at the Commonwealth Games. Five months later, the current world number 63 created more history by winning a mixed doubles bronze alongside Sharath Kamal at the Asian Games in Jakarta. "We feel she deserves the honour and that is why decided to nominate her for the second time," TTFI secretary general M P Singh told PTI. In 2019, wrestler Bajrang Punia and para-athlete Deepa Malik got the highest sporting award. The federation has recommended veteran Madhurika Patkar, Manav Thakkar and Suthirtha Mukherjee for the Arjuna Award. Mukherjee recently broke into the top-100 of the ITTF world rankings. Coaches Jayanta Pushilal and S Raman have been nominated for the Dronacharya honour. A panel formed by the Sports Ministry will shortlist the nominations received from various national federations with the awards to be presented on National Sports Day, August 29 Meanwhile, the TTFI has received another 'no' from players after being asked about their availability to join the national camp. Following central government's decision to open sports stadiums and complexes without spectators, the TTFI had sough players' availability twice, first for beginning of June and then for June last week. Considering the COVID-19 cases continue to rise in India, players are not comfortable travelling anytime before August. "They have conveyed to us that they are not ready for the camp till August. We respect their decision," Singh added. World body ITTF has suspended all its activities until July end due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

TTFI recommends Manika Batra for Khel Ratna, players not ready for training camp till August

Hockey India on Tuesday nominated national women's team captain Rani for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award while Vandana Kataria, Monika and Harmanpreet Singh were recommended for the Arjuna Award.

For the Major Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement, the federation has recommended former India stalwarts R P Singh and Tushar Khandker.

Coaches B J Kariappa and Romesh Pathania have been nominated for the Dronacharya Award. 
The period of consideration for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, India's highest sporting honour, is between January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2019.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/exclusive-khel-ratna-award-nomination-is-special-olympic-gold-remains-main-target-amit-panghal-302459" hreflang="en">Exclusive | Khel Ratna award nomination is special, Olympic gold remains main target: Amit Panghal</a>

During this period, Rani led the team to historic victories in the Women's Asia Cup in 2017, silver at the 2018 Asian Games and played a critical role in the FIH Olympic Qualifiers in 2019 by scoring the deciding goal that helped India qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.

The team also climbed to a career-best ninth the FIH world rankings.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-news-bcci-nominates-rohit-for-khel-ratna-shikhar-ishant-and-deepti-for-arjuna-302277" hreflang="en">BCCI nominates Rohit for Khel Ratna; Shikhar, Ishant and Deepti for Arjuna</a>

Rani, who is the first Indian to be named as the World Games Athlete of The Year, has also been the recipient of the Arjuna Award (2016) and Padma Shri (2020).

India striker Vandana, with over 200 international caps, and Monika, with 150 national appearances, have been recommended for the Arjuna Award.

They both played key roles in the team's sensational wins in 2019 including the FIH Series Finals in Hiroshima, Tokyo 2020 Olympics Test Event and the Olympic Qualifiers in Bhubaneswar.

The Indian men's team dragflick specialist, Harmanpreet Singh, is also in the short-list for the Arjuna nominees. He was instrumental in the team's winning performance in the FIH Series Finals in Odisha.

At the 2020 Olympics Test Event, he captained the team to victory in the absence of Manpreet Singh who was rested for the tournament.

Harmanpreet was also a part of the Indian team that won the Olympic Qualifiers against Russia last year.

Former India stars Dr RP Singh and Khandker's continued contribution in the field of hockey has led to their recommendation for the Major Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Kariappa, who has been nominated for the Dronacharya Award, has coached the Indian junior men's team to a silver at the Sultan of Johor Cup in 2019.

Speaking on the recommendations for the National Awards, Hockey India President Mohd Mustaque Ahmad said:

"Sardar Singh was the last hockey player to win the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.

"Rani has set new benchmarks in women's hockey and we feel she is very deserving of the top award."

A panel formed by the Sports Ministry will shortlist the nominations received from various national federations with the awards to be presented on National Sports Day, August 29.

Hockey India on Tuesday nominated national women's team captain Rani for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award while Vandana Kataria, Monika and Harmanpreet Singh were recommended for the Arjuna Award.

Hockey India on Tuesday nominated national women's team captain Rani for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award while Vandana Kataria, Monika and Harmanpreet Singh were recommended for the Arjuna Award. For the Major Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement, the federation has recommended former India stalwarts R P Singh and Tushar Khandker. Coaches B J Kariappa and Romesh Pathania have been nominated for the Dronacharya Award. The period of consideration for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, India's highest sporting honour, is between January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2019. ALSO READ: Exclusive | Khel Ratna award nomination is special, Olympic gold remains main target: Amit Panghal During this period, Rani led the team to historic victories in the Women's Asia Cup in 2017, silver at the 2018 Asian Games and played a critical role in the FIH Olympic Qualifiers in 2019 by scoring the deciding goal that helped India qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. The team also climbed to a career-best ninth the FIH world rankings. ALSO READ: BCCI nominates Rohit for Khel Ratna; Shikhar, Ishant and Deepti for Arjuna Rani, who is the first Indian to be named as the World Games Athlete of The Year, has also been the recipient of the Arjuna Award (2016) and Padma Shri (2020). India striker Vandana, with over 200 international caps, and Monika, with 150 national appearances, have been recommended for the Arjuna Award. They both played key roles in the team's sensational wins in 2019 including the FIH Series Finals in Hiroshima, Tokyo 2020 Olympics Test Event and the Olympic Qualifiers in Bhubaneswar. The Indian men's team dragflick specialist, Harmanpreet Singh, is also in the short-list for the Arjuna nominees. He was instrumental in the team's winning performance in the FIH Series Finals in Odisha. At the 2020 Olympics Test Event, he captained the team to victory in the absence of Manpreet Singh who was rested for the tournament. Harmanpreet was also a part of the Indian team that won the Olympic Qualifiers against Russia last year. Former India stars Dr RP Singh and Khandker's continued contribution in the field of hockey has led to their recommendation for the Major Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement. Kariappa, who has been nominated for the Dronacharya Award, has coached the Indian junior men's team to a silver at the Sultan of Johor Cup in 2019. Speaking on the recommendations for the National Awards, Hockey India President Mohd Mustaque Ahmad said: "Sardar Singh was the last hockey player to win the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award. "Rani has set new benchmarks in women's hockey and we feel she is very deserving of the top award." A panel formed by the Sports Ministry will shortlist the nominations received from various national federations with the awards to be presented on National Sports Day, August 29.

Indian women's team captain Rani Rampal recommended for Khel Ratna

India's prolific limited overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma was on Saturday nominated for the prestigious 'Khel Ratna' award by the BCCI for his stupendous performance in 2019 when he dazzled with five hundreds in the 50-over World Cup.

Rohit's opening partner Shikhar Dhawan and Ishant Sharma, the most-capped Test cricketer in the current set-up, have been nominated for the Arjuna Award.

In the women's section, Deepti Sharma got BCCI nomination for her consistent show across formats in the last three years.

The PTI on May 13 had reported about Dhawan and Deepti's likely nominations for the Arjuna award.

Dhawan was in fact nominated in 2018 alongside Smriti Mandhana but missed out on the award.

As skipper Virat Kohli has got the highest sporting honour, Rohit with his magnificent white-ball record over the years was an automatic choice. Having scored 9115 runs in 224 ODIs with 29 hundreds and 43 fifties.

He also has 2141 runs in 32 Tests with six hundreds and 10 fifties. In 108 T20 Internationals, the 33-year-old has scored 2773 runs with four fifties apart from being ICC's 'Cricketer of the Year'.

"We went through a lot of data and considered various parameters before shortlisting the nominees. Rohit Sharma has set new benchmarks as a batsman and achieved scores people thought were not possible in the shorter formats of the game," BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said, referring to his three double hundreds in 50-over cricket.

"We feel he is worthy of getting the prestigious Khel Ratna award for his commitment, conduct, consistency and his leadership skills," Ganguly added.

Secretary Jay Shah termed Rohit as perfect "teamman" who led well in absence of regular skipper Virat Kohli. 
"In the last five years, Rohit Sharma has not only raised the bar with his individual performances but has also led the Indian team with distinction in Virat Kohli's absence," Shah was quoted as saying in a BCCI press release.

For 31-year-old Ishant, it was a long wait to earn the nomination as he is the senior-most member in the current Test set-up with 97 Tests under his belt apart from 80 ODIs and 14 T20Is.

Ishant has 297 Test wickets under his belt and by the end of the year is expected to be second pacer in the country after Kapil Dev to complet 100 Test matches.

"Fast bowlers are prone to injuries and Ishant has had a fair share of them but he has fought hard to be back on the park every time," Ganguly commented on his nomination.

The 34-year-old Dhawan holds the record for the fastest Test century on debut and is the only batsman in the world to have won two consecutive golden bats (for most runs) in the ICC Champions Trophy.

He is also the quickest Indian batsman to reach 2000 and 3000 runs in ODIs and second-fastest Indian to score 4000 and 5000 runs in ODIs.

In 136 ODIs, he has scored 5688 runs with 17 hundreds apart from 2315 runs in 34 Tests (7 hundreds) and 1588 runs in 61 T20 Internationals.

The 24-year-old Deepti has already played 54 ODIs and 48 T20 Internationals for the country. She also holds the record of highest individual score by an Indian woman in ODIs - 188. She has so far scored 1840 international runs and taken 117 wickets across two formats.

India's prolific limited overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma was on Saturday nominated for the prestigious 'Khel Ratna' award by the BCCI for his stupendous performance in 2019 when he dazzled with five hundreds in the 50-over World Cup.

India's prolific limited overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma was on Saturday nominated for the prestigious 'Khel Ratna' award by the BCCI for his stupendous performance in 2019 when he dazzled with five hundreds in the 50-over World Cup. Rohit's opening partner Shikhar Dhawan and Ishant Sharma, the most-capped Test cricketer in the current set-up, have been nominated for the Arjuna Award. In the women's section, Deepti Sharma got BCCI nomination for her consistent show across formats in the last three years. The PTI on May 13 had reported about Dhawan and Deepti's likely nominations for the Arjuna award. Dhawan was in fact nominated in 2018 alongside Smriti Mandhana but missed out on the award. As skipper Virat Kohli has got the highest sporting honour, Rohit with his magnificent white-ball record over the years was an automatic choice. Having scored 9115 runs in 224 ODIs with 29 hundreds and 43 fifties. He also has 2141 runs in 32 Tests with six hundreds and 10 fifties. In 108 T20 Internationals, the 33-year-old has scored 2773 runs with four fifties apart from being ICC's 'Cricketer of the Year'. "We went through a lot of data and considered various parameters before shortlisting the nominees. Rohit Sharma has set new benchmarks as a batsman and achieved scores people thought were not possible in the shorter formats of the game," BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said, referring to his three double hundreds in 50-over cricket. "We feel he is worthy of getting the prestigious Khel Ratna award for his commitment, conduct, consistency and his leadership skills," Ganguly added. Secretary Jay Shah termed Rohit as perfect "teamman" who led well in absence of regular skipper Virat Kohli. "In the last five years, Rohit Sharma has not only raised the bar with his individual performances but has also led the Indian team with distinction in Virat Kohli's absence," Shah was quoted as saying in a BCCI press release. For 31-year-old Ishant, it was a long wait to earn the nomination as he is the senior-most member in the current Test set-up with 97 Tests under his belt apart from 80 ODIs and 14 T20Is. Ishant has 297 Test wickets under his belt and by the end of the year is expected to be second pacer in the country after Kapil Dev to complet 100 Test matches. "Fast bowlers are prone to injuries and Ishant has had a fair share of them but he has fought hard to be back on the park every time," Ganguly commented on his nomination. The 34-year-old Dhawan holds the record for the fastest Test century on debut and is the only batsman in the world to have won two consecutive golden bats (for most runs) in the ICC Champions Trophy. He is also the quickest Indian batsman to reach 2000 and 3000 runs in ODIs and second-fastest Indian to score 4000 and 5000 runs in ODIs. In 136 ODIs, he has scored 5688 runs with 17 hundreds apart from 2315 runs in 34 Tests (7 hundreds) and 1588 runs in 61 T20 Internationals. The 24-year-old Deepti has already played 54 ODIs and 48 T20 Internationals for the country. She also holds the record of highest individual score by an Indian woman in ODIs - 188. She has so far scored 1840 international runs and taken 117 wickets across two formats.

BCCI nominates Rohit for Khel Ratna; Shikhar, Ishant and Deepti for Arjuna

India's para-athlete Deepa Malik will receive Rajiv Khel Ratna award, which is the country's highest sporting honour.&nbsp;

Malik, who became the first Indian female athlete to win a Paralympics medal, was finalised by the selection committee along with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bajrang-punia-to-get-rajiv-gandhi-khel-ratna-243522">wrestler Bajrang Punia</a>.&nbsp;

Rio Paralympics silver medallist Deepa Malik is also a recipient of the Padma Shri and Arjuna award.&nbsp;

Malik stared her sports career at the age of 36&nbsp;and won a silver medal in shot put at the 2016 Paralympics Games.&nbsp;

She has won 58 national and 23 international medals and has entered the Limca Book of World Records four times.&nbsp;

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Cricketers Ravindra Jadeja and Poonam Yadav among 19 sportspersons have been nominated for the Arjuna award.&nbsp;

India's para-athlete Deepa Malik will receive Rajiv Khel Ratna award, which is the country's highest sporting honour. Malik, who became the first Indian female athlete to win a Paralympics medal, was finalised by the selection committee along with wrestler Bajrang Punia.

India's para-athlete Deepa Malik will receive Rajiv Khel Ratna award, which is the country's highest sporting honour. Malik, who became the first Indian female athlete to win a Paralympics medal, was finalised by the selection committee along with wrestler Bajrang Punia. Rio Paralympics silver medallist Deepa Malik is also a recipient of the Padma Shri and Arjuna award. Malik stared her sports career at the age of 36 and won a silver medal in shot put at the 2016 Paralympics Games. She has won 58 national and 23 international medals and has entered the Limca Book of World Records four times. Deepa Malik to get Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award Read @ANI Story l https://t.co/DjAuvTA7KQ pic.twitter.com/8nBAZfsIMC — ANI Digital (@ani_digital) August 17, 2019 × Many congratulations to wrestler @BajrangPunia and Para-Athlete @DeepaMalik who have been recommended for the #RajivGandhiKhelRatna in 2019. 👏🏻🎉@RijijuOffice @KirenRijiju #Wrestling @FederationWrest @afiindia @ParalympicIndia @IndiaSports #KheloIndia 🇮🇳 — SAIMedia (@Media_SAI) August 17, 2019 × Cricketers Ravindra Jadeja and Poonam Yadav among 19 sportspersons have been nominated for the Arjuna award.

Deepa Malik to get Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award

Medal-winning wrestler Bajrang Punia is all set to get the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the country's highest sporting honour.

Punia's name for the award was finalised by the selection committee on Friday, a source told ANI.

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) had recommended his name for the khel ratna in April.

In 2018, Punia had the won the gold medals at the Asian Games (Jakarta) and Commonwealth Games (Gold Coast) in the 65 kg category.

He also achieved the number 1 ranking in wrestling, in a first for India, at the world level.

He won the Arjuna award in 2015.

A meeting of the committee will be held tomorrow to finalise the names for the Arjuna and Dronacharya awards.

The WFI had forwarded the names of wrestlers Rahul Aware, Harpreet Singh, Divya Kakran and Pooja Dhanda for the Arjuna awards.

It had recommended the names of Virender Kumar, Sujeet Maan, Narendra Kumar and Vikram Kumar for the Dronacharya awards.

Medal-winning wrestler Bajrang Punia is all set to get the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the country's highest sporting honour. Punia's name for the award was finalised by the selection committee on Friday, a source told ANI.

Medal-winning wrestler Bajrang Punia is all set to get the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the country's highest sporting honour. Punia's name for the award was finalised by the selection committee on Friday, a source told ANI. The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) had recommended his name for the khel ratna in April. In 2018, Punia had the won the gold medals at the Asian Games (Jakarta) and Commonwealth Games (Gold Coast) in the 65 kg category. He also achieved the number 1 ranking in wrestling, in a first for India, at the world level. He won the Arjuna award in 2015. A meeting of the committee will be held tomorrow to finalise the names for the Arjuna and Dronacharya awards. The WFI had forwarded the names of wrestlers Rahul Aware, Harpreet Singh, Divya Kakran and Pooja Dhanda for the Arjuna awards. It had recommended the names of Virender Kumar, Sujeet Maan, Narendra Kumar and Vikram Kumar for the Dronacharya awards.

Bajrang Punia to get Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna

Cue sports legend Pankaj Advani has finally <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ms-dhoni-pankaj-advani-win-padma-bhushan-30792">got his due</a> after being ignored for Padma Bhushan the previous two years. It is a case of better late than never though the 18-time world champion says he has no hard feelings against the government.

His achievements are well documented but it is still worth mentioning that he is getting better with age and has won seven world titles in the last four years.

So like his inspiration Roger Federer, is he too ageing like a fine wine?

&quot;Well I am still 32 (laughs) and not old. But yes I realise I am not young either. I am just excited that good things are happening at this stage of my career,&quot; Advani said after adding another feather to his illustrious cap in the form of India&#39;s third highest civilian honour.

He was a 16-time world champion when he was ignored for Padma Bhushan for the second time, making him wonder &#39;what more he needs to do&#39;. Twelve months later, Advani has thanked the government for bestowing the honour.

&quot;I know what I said last year,&quot; said Advani when reminded about his controversial statement last year.

&quot;This year I was not even thinking about. I was actually at a club in Bangalore, out for dinner with my friends when I got the call last night. After a point I realised if it comes it comes, if it doesn&#39;t it will come next year.

&quot;I don&#39;t play for awards. Even last year, after I said what I said, it was definitely not the end of the world for me. Now that I have got it, it is hugely exciting and motivating,&quot; he said.

It is remarkable that Advani still has the zeal and motivation to keep going, 12 years after he won India&#39;s highest sporting honour, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna. He was just 20 back then.

What is left now? Padma Vibhushan or even a Bharat Ratna besides the world titles he keeps churning out year after year?

&quot;Well there has to be a five-year gap between each Padma awards so it is a long shot. God knows where I will be five years later, you are not even sure what is going to happen tomorrow,&quot; he said.

&quot;Having said that, it (getting a Padma Vibhushan or Bharat Ratna) all depends on perception of sport in our country. If we are willing to accept achievers from across disciplines, only time will tell.

&quot;For now I am enjoying this moment. It is not only my glory, it is glory for the entire cue sports fraternity,&quot; said Advani.

His achievements are mind-boggling and what makes them even greater is the fact they have come simultaneously in billiards and snooker.

Last November in Doha, he switched from billiards to snooker within days and still ended up winning world titles in either category.

Advani, who potted his maiden world title in 2005, picked 2014, 2015 and 2017 as the stand out years of his phenomenal career.

&quot;They stand out for different reasons. 2014 because I won four world titles, I never thought it would be possible. In 2015, I won both the 6-red and the traditional 15-red world titles along with the billiards (time format), stuff like that happens once in a life time,&quot; he said.

&quot;2017 was another crazy year. To be able to win billiards and snooker back-to-back was special, because normally people specialize in one sport. I surprised myself there.&quot;

He has been honoured with Padma Bhushan alongside MS Dhoni, a cricketer he admires the most.

Will the award give him the extra dose of motivation, Advani said: &quot;It is definitely motivating to continue pursuing excellence in billiards and snooker. To keep improving. It is surely a great start to the year.&quot;

None of his 18 world titles would have been possible without the support of coach Arvind Savur and brother Shree Advani, who is a well-known mind coach.

&quot;Sport is not just about skill, technique and hard work. It is also about understanding your emotions, how to approach the game. There is hardly anything that separates the best from the rest.

&quot;Shree has helped me immensely on the mental aspect and of course my coach Arvind Savur,&quot; added Advani.

He was a 16-time world champion when he was ignored for Padma Bhushan for the second time.

Cue sports legend Pankaj Advani has finally got his due after being ignored for Padma Bhushan the previous two years. It is a case of better late than never though the 18-time world champion says he has no hard feelings against the government. His achievements are well documented but it is still worth mentioning that he is getting better with age and has won seven world titles in the last four years. So like his inspiration Roger Federer, is he too ageing like a fine wine? "Well I am still 32 (laughs) and not old. But yes I realise I am not young either. I am just excited that good things are happening at this stage of my career," Advani said after adding another feather to his illustrious cap in the form of India's third highest civilian honour. He was a 16-time world champion when he was ignored for Padma Bhushan for the second time, making him wonder 'what more he needs to do'. Twelve months later, Advani has thanked the government for bestowing the honour. "I know what I said last year," said Advani when reminded about his controversial statement last year. "This year I was not even thinking about. I was actually at a club in Bangalore, out for dinner with my friends when I got the call last night. After a point I realised if it comes it comes, if it doesn't it will come next year. "I don't play for awards. Even last year, after I said what I said, it was definitely not the end of the world for me. Now that I have got it, it is hugely exciting and motivating," he said. It is remarkable that Advani still has the zeal and motivation to keep going, 12 years after he won India's highest sporting honour, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna. He was just 20 back then. What is left now? Padma Vibhushan or even a Bharat Ratna besides the world titles he keeps churning out year after year? "Well there has to be a five-year gap between each Padma awards so it is a long shot. God knows where I will be five years later, you are not even sure what is going to happen tomorrow," he said. "Having said that, it (getting a Padma Vibhushan or Bharat Ratna) all depends on perception of sport in our country. If we are willing to accept achievers from across disciplines, only time will tell. "For now I am enjoying this moment. It is not only my glory, it is glory for the entire cue sports fraternity," said Advani. His achievements are mind-boggling and what makes them even greater is the fact they have come simultaneously in billiards and snooker. Last November in Doha, he switched from billiards to snooker within days and still ended up winning world titles in either category. Advani, who potted his maiden world title in 2005, picked 2014, 2015 and 2017 as the stand out years of his phenomenal career. "They stand out for different reasons. 2014 because I won four world titles, I never thought it would be possible. In 2015, I won both the 6-red and the traditional 15-red world titles along with the billiards (time format), stuff like that happens once in a life time," he said. "2017 was another crazy year. To be able to win billiards and snooker back-to-back was special, because normally people specialize in one sport. I surprised myself there." He has been honoured with Padma Bhushan alongside MS Dhoni, a cricketer he admires the most. Will the award give him the extra dose of motivation, Advani said: "It is definitely motivating to continue pursuing excellence in billiards and snooker. To keep improving. It is surely a great start to the year." None of his 18 world titles would have been possible without the support of coach Arvind Savur and brother Shree Advani, who is a well-known mind coach. "Sport is not just about skill, technique and hard work. It is also about understanding your emotions, how to approach the game. There is hardly anything that separates the best from the rest. "Shree has helped me immensely on the mental aspect and of course my coach Arvind Savur," added Advani.

Padma Bhushan: Pankaj Advani gets his due, says no hard feelings against government