Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat nominated for Khel Ratna

TIL Desk Sports/ The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Monday recommended recently-crowned Asian Champion Bajrang Punia and last year’s Asian Games gold-medallist Vinesh Phogat for the country’s highest sporting honour — the Rajeev Khel Ratna award.

“They (Bajrang and Vinesh) have been recommended for Khel Ratna by the WFI after both of them submitted their applications,” a WFI official confirmed. World No 1 Bajrang has recently stamped his authority at the Asian Championship in Xi’an, China by clinching a gold medal in the men’s 65kg freestyle event.

Last year, the 25-year-old grappler had bagged the yellow metal at the Jakarta Asian Games too.In 2018, the 24-year-old became the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Asian Games. Besides Bajrang and Vinesh, WFI has recommended names of Rahul Aware, Harpreet Singh, Divya Kakran and Pooja Dhanda for the Arjuna award.