Padma Awards announced! Sportspersons who won in 2021

When one thinks of Republic Day, the pictures that flood the mind are usually those of marching soldiers, tableaux, and the display of India's weaponry.

Another equally important event that takes place on Republic Day is the award presentation ceremony, where police officers, defence personnel, and children are felicitated a medal for their gallantry and bravery.

This year's Republic Day, a muted affair, will not see the parade of gallantry awardees and children who have won the bravery award.

What are these awards though? And who felicitates the recipients? We answer all these questions below:

The Padma Awards

The Padma Awards are the highest civilian awards in the country. They comprise of three categories based on the scale of the awardee's achievement - The highest being Padma Vibhushan, followed by Padma Bhushan, and lastly, Padma Shri.

Read | How January 26 became the Republic Day

The award winners are announced on the eve of Republic Day - January 25 - and are felicitated by the President of India around March or April.

Out of 102 Padma Shri awardess, seven Indian sportspersons are on the list. Here is the list of all sportspersons honoured with Padma Shri awards (Fourth highest civilian awards) this year:

Complete list of Sportspersons who won in 2021:

P. Anitha from Tamil Nadu in Basketball

Mouma Das from West Bengal in Table Tennis

Sudha Hari Narayan Singh from Uttar Pradesh in Steeplechase

Virender Singh from Haryana in Wrestling

K Y Venkatesh from Karnataka in Para athletics

Anshu Jamsenpa from Arunachal Pradesh in Mountaineering

Madhavan Nambiar from Kerala in Athletics