Indian women’s cricket team skipper Harmanpreet Kaur was conferred with the Padma Shri by President Droupadi Murmu on Monday in New Delhi. President Droupadi Murmu presented the prestigious award to Kaur at the Civil Investiture Ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Kaur received the Padma Shri following a landmark year for Indian women’s cricket. In 2025, she captained India to their maiden ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup title on home soil, leading the team to a historic victory over South Africa in the final at Navi Mumbai.
The triumph made her the first Indian captain to lift the Women’s World Cup and only the second Indian skipper overall to win a World Cup at home after MS Dhoni.
Kaur has played 164 ODIs for India, scoring 4,541 runs at an average of 37.22, including 7 centuries and 24 half-centuries. In T20Is, she has amassed 3,991 runs from 195 matches, featuring one century and 16 fifties.
In the longest format, Kaur has appeared in 7 Tests, scoring 230 runs at an average of 23.00, including a half-century.
Praveen Kumar, Baldev Singh, K. Pajanivel Honoured
Paralympic gold medallist high jumper Praveen Kumar was conferred with the Padma Shri. The world No. 1 para high jumper is being recognised for his outstanding contribution to sports after a remarkable rise in international para athletics.
Born with a physical disability, Praveen Kumar first won a silver medal in the men’s high jump T64 category at the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2021 before upgrading it to gold at the Paris Paralympic Games with a personal-best jump of 2.08 metres.
His breakthrough performance in Tokyo earned him the Arjuna Award in 2021, while his Paris triumph was later recognised with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in January 2025.
Born in 2003, Praveen initially played volleyball during his school days before deciding to switch to high jump. His teacher was initially reluctant to allow him to compete, fearing he might get injured because of his leg condition. Despite the doubts, Praveen competed in the able-bodied category and won gold.
Veteran hockey coach Baldev Singh and renowned Silambam exponent K. Pajanivel were conferred with the Padma Shri on Monday in recognition of their outstanding contributions to sports and traditional martial arts.
Baldev Singh, regarded as one of the pioneering figures in Indian women’s hockey, played a transformative role in developing Shahabad Markanda in Haryana into a prominent nursery for women’s hockey talent.
Over the past two decades, the academy under his guidance has produced more than 80 international players, including eight who went on to captain the Indian women’s hockey team.
Several prominent players, including former India captain Rani Rampal, former drag-flick specialist Sandeep Singh, Didar Singh, Sanjeev Kumar Dang, Harpal Singh, and Navjot Kaur, emerged from his academy.
Beyond nurturing sporting excellence, Baldev Singh was also credited with helping players from underprivileged backgrounds build successful careers through hockey.
For his immense contribution to coaching and player development, he had earlier received the Dronacharya Award in 2009 and the Hockey India Jaman Lal Sharma Award for Invaluable Contribution in 2015-16.
Meanwhile, Silambam exponent K. Pajanivel from Puducherry was honoured with the Padma Shri for his contribution towards preserving and promoting the ancient Tamil martial art of Silambam.
Born on January 30, 1973, in Pooranankuppam, Pajanivel began training in Silambam under Master Rajaram and went on to dedicate decades to popularising the traditional martial art in India and abroad.
He has trained several students free of cost and represented Silambam through demonstrations, performances, and competitions at national and international platforms.
Silambam, a weapon-based martial art believed to be over 5,000 years old, primarily involves the use of a bamboo staff and is known for its speed, precision, and fluid footwork.
Pajanivel had earlier received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Martial Arts in 2023. His other honours include the Kalaimamani Award from the Government of Puducherry in 2012, the Best Youth Award from Nehru Yuva Kendra in 2004, and the Silambam International Award in 2002.
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