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Know the Indian athletes who won the Padma Vibhushan Award
Padma Vibhushan is the second highest civilian award that is given to a person for exceptional service. This award is presented to those irrespective of sex, occupation or race. Excepting those in public sectors, this award is presented to those who have managed to perform exceptional service. However, only four athletes in the history of the award have managed to secure it. Here are the only four Indian sportspersons who have won the Padma Vibhushan so far.
Viswanathan Anand
Viswanathan Anand Source: Viswanathan Anand/Facebook)
Also known popularly as ‘Vishy’, Viswanathan Anand is a five time world champion and grandmaster of Indian chess. Despite the loss of the championship title to Norway’s Magnus Carlsen, Anand has made significant achievements in chess for India. He was the only player to pass 2800 Elo Mark on FIDE’s rating list in 2006, making him the fourth player in the world to do so. His rapid playing speed at a young age led him to becoming the first sportsperson to receive the Padma Vibhushan.
Edmund Hillary
Edmund Hillary (Source: Britannica)
Sir Edmund Percival Hillary was one of the first mountain climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Along with Tenzing Norgay, they set out on the expedition in 1953 where they made history by reaching the highest summit on Earth. The duo spent 15 minutes before beginning their descent. Hillary became one of the most famous names around the world due to this feat of success and was posthumously awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2008.
Mary Kom
Mary Kom (Source: AIBA)
Mary Kom is known for her many records established in boxing. She is a six time World Amateur Boxing champion and has won the World Championships by securing medals eight times, making her the only boxer to do so. She set a new benchmark for boxing, having never competed at the professional level. She was recently awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2020 for her efforts in the Olympics and many other championships across the world.
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar (Source: HT)
Sachin Tendulkar is regarded as one of the greatest cricketers in the history of cricket. He is a former captain of Indian cricket team and is the only player in the world to score 100 centuries in international cricket. He is known as one of the greatest batsmen in the world and was part of the 2011 Cricket World cup which India won. Nicknamed ‘Master Blaster’, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2008.
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