In a first in Indian sports, name of a woman athlete—six-time world champion boxer MC Mary Kom—has been recommended for prestigious Pma Vibhushan award, country’s second-highest civilian hour after Bharat Ratna, by sports ministry. Mary was houred with Pma Bhushan in 2013 and Pma Shri in 2006. What’s even more interesting—and unprecedented— is that all nine athletes recommended by ministry this year are women.  Bminton world champion P V Sindhu has been minated for Pma Bhushan. Sindhu was also recommended for Pma Bhushan in 2017 but failed to make list of awardees. She h got Pma Shri in 2015. Pma Vibhushan has been given to three male sportspersons in past chess champ V Anand (2007), Sachin Tendulkar (2008) and mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary (posthumously in 2008). Seven women stars in line for Pma Shri.

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List of or women sportspersons

Besides Mary Kom and PV Sindhu, or seven women in this year’s list – all recommended for Pma Shri – are wrestler Vinesh Phogat, table tennis star Manika Batra, T20I skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, hockey captain Rani Rampal, former shooter Suma Shirur and mountaineer twin sisters, Tashi and Nungshi Malik. recommendations have been sent to Pma awards committee in ministry of home affairs (MHA). It will anunce names of selected awardees on eve of Republic Day celebrations – January 25, 2020. Apart from this list of nine names, some individual recommendations have also been sent to MHA. 

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Mary Kom and PV Sindhu's ro to 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Mary Kom, 36, who was minated as a member of Rajya Sabha in April 2016 on recommendation of ruling BJP government, is looking to qualify for her second Olympics – 2020 Tokyo Games – after securing a historic bronze at 2012 London Olympics. Late last year, Manipuri boxer h clinched world title in 48kg category at home for record sixth time. Rio Olympics silver medallist Sindhu recently became first Indian to win a World Championship title, defeating Japan’s zomi.

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