New Delhi, January 17: President Draupadi Murmu on Friday conferred the prestigious Arjuna Award to para-archer from Jammu and Kashmir Rakesh Kumar in New Delhi.
Kumar, hailing from Reasi district, became the third para-archer to receive the Arjuna Award, following Harvinder Singh in 2021 and Sheetal Devi in 2024, and notably, two of the three recipients- Rakesh Kumar and Sheetal Devi -hail from Jammu and Kashmir.
The Indian archery pair of Rakesh Kumar and Sheetal Devihad clinched the bronze medal in the mixed team compound event with a win over Eleonora Sarti and Matteo Bonnacina of Italy at the Paris Paralympics last year.
For his exceptional performance in the Paralympics, Kumar’s name was considered for the Arjuna Award.
Rakesh Kumar represented India at the 2020 Summer Paralympics, held in Tokyo, Japan. He won a gold medal in the men’s compound open section of the 7th Fazza Para Archery World Ranking Tournament, which was held in Dubai in February 2021.
Kumar is the highest-ranked compound archer in India with a world ranking of No. 1. He was trained at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board’s Sports Complex and he is a native of Katra, Jammu.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday sent his heartiest congratulations to Paralympian Rakesh Kumar on receiving the prestigious Arjuna Award.
Taking to X, Omar Abdullah said that Rakesh has made a name for himself in the field of para-archery. The CM added that Rakesh has served as an inspiration for all the people in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Heartiest congratulations to Olympian Rakesh Kumar of Katra for being conferred the prestigious Arjuna Award for 2024 at the hands of President Droupadi Murmu Sahiba. Rakesh has made a name for himself in the field of para-archery and serves as an inspiration for all of us in J&K. I wish him more success going ahead,” Omar Abdullah wrote on X.
The Indian contingent concluded its historic Paris Paralympics campaign with a total of 29 medals, including seven gold, nine silver, and 13 bronze medals, the most by the country in the history of the competition.
Double Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker, World Chess Champion Gukesh Dommaraju, Indian men’s hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh, and Para Athlete Praveen Kumar were awarded the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award by President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Friday.
Olympic medalists Swapnil Suresh Kusale and Sarabjot Singh and Para-Olympic shooters Mona Agarwal and Rubina Francis have been conferred with the Arjuna Awards.