Manu Bhaker, Sunil Chhetri, Lovlina honoured with Bhogeswar Baruah National Sports Awards
The Assam Olympic Association conferred the first Bhogeswar Baruah National Sports Awards in Guwahati
Dignitaries at the award ceremony (Photo - @sarbanandsonwal / X)
Guwahati, Sept 4: Double-Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker, Indian football leg-end Sunil Chhetri and Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain were among the first recipients of the newly-instituted Bhogeswar Baruah National Sports Awards, presented here on Thursday.
Bhaker was named Best Sportsperson (National), while Chhetri received the Lifetime Achievement (National) award for his illustrious football career. Weightlifter Bedabrat Bharali was recognised as the Emerging Player (National). From Assam, Lovlina Borgohain was adjudged Best Sportsperson, Dipankar Bhattacharya received the Lifetime Achievement award for badminton, and paddler Priyanuj Bhattacharya was honoured as Emerging Player.
The award instituted by the Assam Olympic Association (AOA) in honour of Bhogeswar Baruah-Assam's first Asian Games gold medallist -will be conferred annually in six categories: Best Sportsperson, Emerging Player and Lifetime Achievement at both national and Assam levels.
The inaugural ceremony was attended by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and union minister of ports, shipping & waterways and president Sarbananda Sonowal, who jointly handed over the honours. Special recognition awards were also presented to Prema Dhar Sarma, Swadhin Ch Deka Raja, Balendra Mohan Chakravarty, Jowel Bey, Joydip Das, Pradip MR Brahma, Rimpi Buragohain, Syed Eske Alam, Babul Phukan and Rakesh Banik.
Bhogeswar Baruah, who won gold in the 800 metres at the 1966 Asian Games in Bangkok and silver in the 4x400m relay at the 1970 Games, became the first Assamese to receive the Arjuna Award.
Chief minister Sarma termed the launch of the award a defining moment for Assam's sporting fraternity, while Sonowal described it as a tribute to the State's indomitable sporting spirit. Both leaders highlighted Assam's emergence as a sporting hub and the government's continued investment in infrastructure, events and grassroots talent development.
Inaugural awardees (2025): Best Sportsperson (National): Manu Bhaker, Olympic medallist (Shooting) Lifetime Achievement (National): Sunil Chhetri, Indian football star. Emerging Player (National): Bedabrat Bharali (Weightlifting). Best Sportsperson (Assam): Lovlina Borgohain, Olympic bronze medallist (Boxing). Lifetime Achievement (Assam): Dipankar Bhattacharya (Badminton). Emerg-ing Player (Assam): Priyanuj Bhattacharya (Table Tennis).