Understanding the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award

The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award is the highest sporting honour in India. It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to individuals for their spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports over a period of four years immediately preceding the year of the award.

Identifying the 2019 Khel Ratna Awardees

The question specifically asks about the sportspersons who were selected for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award for the year 2019. To answer this, we need to recall or find the list of awardees for that particular year.

The recipients of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award for the year 2019 were announced by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The selection is made by a committee, and the awardees are honoured for their recent outstanding achievements.

For the year 2019, the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award was conferred upon:

• Bajrang Punia (Wrestling)
• Deepa Malik (Para-Athletics)

Analyzing the Provided Options:

Let's examine the given options to see which one lists Bajrang Punia and Deepa Malik:

1. Vijay Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt:

   Vijay Kumar (Shooting) received the award in 2012. Yogeshwar Dutt (Wrestling) also received the award in 2012. These are not the 2019 recipients.

2. Sakshi Malik and Jitu Rai:

   Sakshi Malik (Wrestling) received the award in 2016. Jitu Rai (Shooting) also received the award in 2016. These are not the 2019 recipients.

3. Virat Kohli and Mirabai Chanu:

   Virat Kohli (Cricket) and Mirabai Chanu (Weightlifting) received the award in 2018. These are not the 2019 recipients.

4. Bajrang Punia and Deepa Malik:

   As identified earlier, Bajrang Punia and Deepa Malik were indeed the recipients of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 2019. This option matches the correct awardees for that year.

Based on the official list of awardees for 2019, the correct option is the one that names Bajrang Punia and Deepa Malik.

Revision Table: Recent Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awardees

Additional Information: About the Khel Ratna Award

The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award was instituted in 1991-92. The first recipient of this award was Viswanathan Anand for his achievements in Chess. The award comprises a medallion, a certificate, and a significant cash prize. It is one of the most sought-after awards for sportspersons in India, recognising their dedication and success on the national and international stage. It serves to encourage excellence in sports across various disciplines. The award name was changed to Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in August 2021.