The Sports Ministry announced that the 2020 National Sports Award ceremony will be held on August 29 in the virtual format for the first-time every due to Coronavirus pandemic. The ceremony will take place at 11 AM and will be telecast live on Doordarshan. ALSO READ | Irish Cricketer Kevin O’Brien Tonks 8 Towering Sixes In T20 Game At Dublin; One 6 Smashes His Own Car Window
President Ram Nath Kovind will attend the virtual ceremony to confer the 60 athletes with the prestigious honor via a National Informatics Centre (NIC) link from Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The Ministry has been sort of forced to take extensive measures due to the unprecedented crisis and hence the recipients will be present at Sports Authority of India (SAI) and NIC centres in various locations across the nation.
According to the Ministry, 65 out of the 74 awardees will be present. Of the nine award winners who will not attend the virtual ceremony, three have tested positive for Covid-19.
The Ministry had earlier announced that Rohit Sharma, Rani Rampal, Vinesh Phogat, Manika Batra and Mariyappan Thangavelu will receive the the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, India's highest sporting honor, while 27 sports personalities will be conferred with the Arjuna Award.
"Yeah, we will miss it. Getting award personally is something different. You can take your family along, click some photos at Rashtrapati Bhawan. Virtual is not such fun," one athlete was quoted as saying by news agency IANS, who will receive the Arjuna Award.
"Personally, I am not liking it. I will get the award but that front page photos with the President, I will miss it," joked one athlete.
Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju would be present at the Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi for the award ceremony.
"Awardees who are not being able to attend the function from one of the various centres or are not in India on August 29, will be given the award later," said the Ministry.