The high-stakes math behind India's highest sporting honor
In short: Winning a medal is only half the battle. To secure India's premier sporting award, athletes must navigate a rigorous points system that weighs international success against the specific profile of their sport. It is a complex calculation where a single point can spark a legal battle.
The Khel Ratna Award, formerly the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, is India's highest sporting honor. Instituted in 1991–1992, it was renamed in 2021 to honor Major Dhyan Chand, the legendary field hockey player who scored over 1,000 goals between 1926 and 1948. While the award is usually given to one person annually, the criteria were significantly updated in 2015. Instead of evaluating a single year of performance, the committee now considers a sportsperson's outstanding international achievements over a four-year period.
The selection mechanism is a precise weighted system. Medals won in major international championships—including the Olympics, Paralympics, Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games—account for 80% of the score. The remaining 20% is based on the profile and standard of the events. For sports not included in those major games, such as cricket or indigenous sports, the committee evaluates individual performance. The highest point-earner in a discipline receives 80 marks, with others receiving marks in proportion to their points. For team events, marks are distributed based on the strength of the team.
This mathematical approach has occasionally led to friction and controversy. Following Sania Mirza's selection, the Karnataka High Court received a Public-Interest Litigation in 2015; the claimant contended that her Grand Slam titles were ineligible for the assessment. Similarly, in 2013, a selection for sport shooter Ronjan Sodhi faced internal questioning regarding lobbying and the exclusion of other shortlisted athletes. To maintain the award's stature, the Ministry often limits the number of recipients, though exceptions have been made in years like 2002 and 2024 to honor multiple athletes simultaneously.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Khel Ratna Award
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