12-member panel to select winners of this year's sports awards

Sources say that the number of awardees could go up considering that the country secured that maximum number of medals ever both in the Tokyo Olympics and the Paralympics.

The Union Sports Ministry has constituted a selection committee for selecting awardees for various sports awards this year.

The 12 member selection committee will be mandated to select awardees for Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, Dronacharya Awards, Arjuna Awards, Dhyan Chand awards, Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad trophy.

Sources say that the number of awardees could go up considering that the country secured that maximum number of medals ever both in the Tokyo Olympics and the Paralympics.

The selection committee, which will be chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Mukundakam Sharma will also include the following members:

* Anjali Bhagwat (shooting)
* Venkatesh Prasad (Cricket)
* Savita Devi (Boxing)
* Baldev Singh (Hockey coach)
* Devendra Jhajharia (Para-athletics)
* Anjum Chopra, journalist and commentator
* Vikrant Gupta, journalist and commentator
* Vijay Lokapally, journalist and commentator
* Sandip Pradhan, Director General, Sports Authority of India
* Radhica Sreeman, Executive Director (Teams), SAI
* Atul Singh, Joint Secretary (Development)