Change name of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, demands Phogat

TIL Desk Sports/ India’s wrestler Babita Phogat demanded change in the name of India’s highest sporting honour — the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, saying that the award should be named after a sportsperson and not after a former Prime Minister.

“Khel Ratna Award has been named after Rajiv Gandhi’s name. If it was in the name of some athlete, instead of his name, we would have felt more proud. We have so many Olympic medallists and World champions,” Phogat told.

 “If it was in the name of some sportsperson, then the athletes also would have felt more pride in receiving it, they would have felt more motivated,” she added. Phogat and her father Mahavir, who had inspired the Hindi film Dangal, had joined the BJP last year.