Raghunath, Dharamvir and Ritu nominated for Arjuna

V.R. Raghunath, Dharamvir Singh and Ritu Rani have been nominated for the Arjuna Award for sporting excellence for 2016.

The trio has been nominated by Hockey India, along with veteran Sylvanus Dung Dung, who has been recommended for the Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award, while coach C.R. Kumar has been named for the Dronacharya Award.

India captain Ritu is not only one of the most experienced and talented midfielders of all time but also has the distinction of leading the side to an Olympic qualification for the first time in 36 years. A product of the hockey nursery of Shahbad, Ritu is considered among the most astute readers of the modern game.

Drag-flicker Raghunath has been part of the Indian team’s defence for more than a decade, having made his international debut during the bilateral series against Pakistan in 2005. He has been part of most of the Indian team’s recent successes, including the 2014 Asian Games gold, the HWL Finals bronze and the 2007 Asia Cup gold.

Dharamvir was also part of the Asiad gold-winning team and the silver-winning Commonwealth Games 2014 side.

The 70-year-old Dung Dung struck the winning goal to help India claim gold at the 1980 Olympics, the last time the team managed to do so, while Kumar is currently part of the senior women’s team staff and has been associated with various teams for almost two decades.