Ace wrestler and member of Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) Babita Phogat has demanded to change the name of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award to a sportsperson’s name. Babita, in a video message, has said that since the award is about honouring sporting excellence then it should ideally be named on a sportsperson – one of India’s many Olympic, Asiad, or Commonwealth Games champions.

Babita Phogat, who also holds the position of Deputy Director in Haryana Sports department, says, “If it’s in the name of a sportsperson, and India has many, then the athletes winning the award would also feel more pride in receiving the highest sporting honour and identify themselves more with it as opposed to now when it’s named on a former prime minister of India.”

This is not the first time that there have been demands of changing the name of this particular award. Earlier too, there was a petition to change its name to Dhyanchand Khel Ratna, to honour India’s greatest hockey player ever, but it never materialised.

While Babita Phogat may have openly asked for a change of name in the sporting honour, it needs to be noted here that her sister, wrestler Vinesh Phogat has been awarded the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award for her performances in the last 4 years.

The award was introduced after former Prime Minister of India’ Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination in 1991 and named Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award. It is given every year to athletes who have outstanding performance in their respective sporting disciplines over a period of 4 years.