Greater Noida paralympian Varun Singh Bhati to receive Laxman Award

Greater Noida: Twenty-five-year-old paralympian Varun Singh Bhati will receive the Laxman Award from the Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday

Greater Noida: Twenty-five-year-old paralympian Varun Singh Bhati will receive the Laxman Award from the Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday. Bhati, a para high jumper, won a bronze medal at the paralympic games at Rio de Janeiro in 2016, and another bronze at the World Para Athletics Championships in London in 2017. He received the Arjuna Award in 2017 for his excellence in the field of sports.

HT Image

Thakur Dhirendra Singh, Jewar MLA, said Bhati is a resident of Jamalpur village. “On Saturday, I received information from Lucknow that Bhati has been selected for the Laxman Award. The prize will encourage Bhati and other local youths to excel in the field of sports,” Singh said.

He said that he had written letters to the government recommending Bhati’s name for the award. Earlier, there was no provision for felicitation of para-sports persons. The government amended the rules in October 2020 and selected Bhati for the Laxman award.

The Laxman Award is given by the UP government to honour eminent players of the state, wherein sportspersons are honoured with an award, a citation, a bronze statue of Laxman and a cash prize of ₹3.11 lakh.