New Delhi: Five officers of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) have been conferred with the Arjuna Awards for 2021. The ONGC energy soldiers will receive the top national sports award from President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on November 13.

ONGC Hockey players Gurjant Singh, Mandeep Singh and Sumit, Athlete Arpinder Singh and Tennis player Ankita Raina have been chosen for the Arjuna Award in recognition of their outstanding performance in sports and games. 

Speaking after the awards were announced, ONGC CMD Subhash Kumar, also the Executive Vice President of All India Public Sector Sports Promotion Board (AIPSSPB), said that ONGC has been championing sports and nurturing sportspersons for bringing laurels to the country.

“ONGC is pleased to have a high number of its employees making it to the list of awardees once again. In the Indian contingent for Tokyo Olympics 2020 also, there were seven ONGC sportspersons – highest from any single organization. These are the recognition of our best-in-class sports development efforts. We will continue to promote sports to leverage the energy of youth of our great nation,” he said.

Arjuna Award is given for exemplary performance over a period of previous four years, exhibiting qualities of leadership, sportsmanship and a sense of discipline. A large number of nominations were received for the National Sports Award 2021.

These nominations were considered by a Selection Committee headed by former Supreme Court Judge Justice (Retd) Mukundakam Sharma and consisting members like eminent sportspersons, persons having experience in sports journalism and sports administrator, etc. Based on the recommendations of the Committee and after due scrutiny, the government decided to confer awards upon the sportspersons. /BI/