Tokyo Paralympics silver medallist Devendra Jhajharia, Venkatesh Prasad in National Sports Awards selection committee

Devendra Jhajharia won a silver medal at the recent Tokyo Games, adding to the two gold medals he had won in the 2004 and 2016 editions. The committee will be meeting in the next few days to decide the winners.

Three-time Paralympic medal-winning javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia, former cricketer Venkatesh Prasad, and ex-world champion boxer L. Sarita Devi have been named in the selection committee for this year’s National Sports Awards. Retired Supreme Court judge Justice Mukundakum Sharma has been picked as the chairperson of the committee, which also includes decorated former shooter Anjali Bhagwat and former women's cricket team captain Anjum Chopra, the sports ministry stated in a circular. Jhajharia won a silver medal at the recent Tokyo Games, adding to the two gold medals he had won in the 2004 and 2016 editions. The committee will be meeting in the next few days to decide the winners. This year’s awards were delayed after the government decided to wait for India's performance at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The country notched up historic results in both the events with an unprecedented seven medals in the Olympics being followed by a record haul of 19, including five gold, at the Paralympics. Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra was the biggest star of the Olympics with a gold, which was India's first athletics medal at the Games and the first top finish in 13 years.