PTI
New Delhi, May 8
Ace marksman Jitu Rai was on Thursday declared the Sportsperson of the Year’ at the Times of India Sports Awards in a glittering ceremony that was graced by the legendary Carl Lewis.
‘Flying Sikh’ Milkha Singh received the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ from the ‘Olympian of the century’ and Times Group MD Vineet Jain in a ceremony that was attended by the whose who of India’s sporting fraternity.
Besides Lewis and Milkha, prominent figures from the sporting world included former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, Olympic bronze medallists boxer MC Mary Kom, shuttler Saina Nehwal and CWG gold medallist squash player Dipika Pallikal.The jury panel comprised of former Davis Cupper Ramesh Krishnan, Olympic gold medallist hockey player Zafar Iqbal, World championship bronze medallist long jumper Anju Bobby George and Ganguly.
While Jitu, who won an unprecedented seven medals in the last one year, was the jury’s choice, champion cueist Pankaj advani bagged the Popular Choice Award.
Young shooter Malaika Goel won the Emerging Players’ Jury Award along with five others while weightlifter Sanjita Chanu won the Popular Choice Award.
Test captain Virat kohli and was named the ‘Best Cricketer’ with Harmanpreet Singh winning it in Women’s section. Nehwal was named the ‘Youth Icon of the Year’.
List only Jury awards:
Sportsperson of the Year: Jitu Rai
Youth Icon: Saina Nehwal
Cricket: Harmanpreet Kaur (women) and Virat Kohli (Men)
Football: Sunil Chhetri
Badminton: PV Sindhu
Billiards: Pankaj Advani
TT: Achanta Sharath Kamal
Shooting: Jitu Rai
Athletics: Vikas Gowda
Wrestling: Yogeshwar Dutt
Lifetime Achievement Award: Milkha Singh
Squash: Dipika Pallikal
Golf: Anirban Lahiri
Chess: Viswanathan Anand
Hockey: Rani Rampal (women) and PR Sreejesh (men)
Boxing: L Sarita Devi and MC Mary Kom
Tennis: Sania Mirza
Weightlifting: Satish Sivalingam
Emerging Player Awards: Malaika Goel, Khushbir Kaur, Amit Kumar Dahiya, A Chikkarangappa, Sanjita Chanu and Vinesh Phogat.
