In a fantastic nod to their impact on Indian sports, former men's hockey goalie PR Sreejesh has been awarded the Padma Bhushan, while cricket superstar Ravichandran Ashwin, who just retired, is among the Padma Shri recipients. In total, four athletes and a para-coach made it onto the impressive list of 139 honorees, which was revealed by President Droupadi Murmu right before India’s 76th Republic Day.

At 36, Sreejesh has been a key player in Indian hockey, making a significant mark as a goalkeeper throughout his career. He hung up his pads after India secured a second consecutive Olympic bronze at the Paris Games and was also a crucial part of the bronze-winning squad at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Currently, Sreejesh is the head coach for the junior men’s hockey team and is involved with the ongoing Hockey India League.

The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in India, following the Bharat Ratna and Padma Vibhushan.

Cricket legend Ravichandran Ashwin, who’s 38, has received the Padma Shri, which is India’s fourth-highest civilian award. He announced his retirement from international cricket during the 2024 Border-Gavaskar series in Australia. With an impressive tally of 537 wickets in 106 Test matches, he wraps up his career as India’s second-highest wicket-taker in Tests.

However, Ashwin isn’t done with cricket just yet; he’ll still be playing in club cricket and will return to the Indian Premier League, rejoining the Chennai Super Kings for the 2025 season.

Other notable athletes who received the Padma Shri include the iconic Indian footballer I.M. Vijayan, Paralympic gold medalist archer Harvinder Singh, and para-athletics coach Satyapal Singh.

Satyapal has played a key role in mentoring Khel Ratna awardee and gold-winning high-jumper Praveen Kumar from the Paris Paralympics, helping to boost India’s presence in para-sports.

This year, the Padma awards, known for honoring exceptional contributions in various fields, recognized a total of 139 recipients. The list includes seven Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri awardees.

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