Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar, who finished fourth in the women's individual vault event at the Rio Olympics, and shooter Jitu Rai, who ranked eighth in the final of the men's 10-metre air pistol event at the Games, are in contention to receive India's highest sporting honour, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna. A final decision will be taken on Thursday, according to NDTVSports. Karmakar's coach Bisweshwar Nandi is also likely to get the Dronacharya Award, according to reports.
Karmakar became the first Indian gymnast to qualify for the Olympics and followed it up by booking a spot in the finals of the women's individual vault event, where she finished a creditable fourth. Karmakar won bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and finished fifth at the 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, both held in Glasgow.
Rai has won gold medals at both the 2014 Commonwealth and Asian Games, and is the world No. 3 in the both the 50-metre pistol and 10-metre pistol events.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!