Paralympian from Nagaland, H Hokato Sema, has been chosen to be conferred the Arjuna Award for outstanding performance in Sports and Games 2024. The Para- Athlete had won bronze in Shot-Put in the F57 category at the Paris Paralympic 2024.

This was confirmed by the Ministry of Sports on 2nd January 2025 as it announced the National Sports Awards 2024. Sema is among the 32 sportspersons to be selected for the Arjuna Awards. Arjuna Award for outstanding performance in Sports and Games’ is given for good performance over a period of the previous four years and for showing qualities of leadership, sportsmanship and a sense of discipline.

Meanwhile four sportsperson including Chess player Gukesh D, Hockey player Harmanpreet Singh, Para-Athlete Praveen Kumar and Shooter Manu Bhaker have been chosen to be awarded the ‘Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award’, which is given for the spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over the period of the previous four years.

The Sports Ministry had also announced the winners of Arjuna Award (Lifetime), Dronacharya Award for outstanding coaches in Sports and Games, Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy 2024.

The awardees will receive their awards from the President of India at a specially organized function at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 17th January 2025 (Friday).