Daijiworld Media Network- New Delhi
New Delhi, Jan 17: In a prestigious ceremony held on Friday, coaches Subhash Rana, Deepali Deshpande, Sandeep Sangwan, S. Muralidharan, and Armando Colaco were felicitated with the Dronacharya Award by President Droupadi Murmu during the National Sports Awards event.
The awards, conferred in two categories—Regular and Lifetime—recognize outstanding contributions by coaches in nurturing sporting excellence. Subhash Rana, Deepali Deshpande, and Sandeep Sangwan were honored in the regular category, while S. Muralidharan and Armando Colaco received the Lifetime category award.
Subhash Rana was recognized for his exceptional achievements in Para-Shooting, having mentored athletes like Manish Narwal, Rubina Francis, Singhraj, and Avani Lekhara. Notably, Avani made history by winning two gold medals in the 2024 Paris Paralympics, following her success at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Deepali Deshpande received the honor for her contributions to shooting. She has coached celebrated athletes such as Swapnil Kusale, Akhil Sheoran, Sift Kaur Samra, Anjum Moudgil, and Shriyanka Sadangi, who have won medals at the Olympics, World Championships, World Cups, and the Asian Games.
Hockey coach Sandeep Sangwan was also recognized for his impactful career, having trained players like Sumit, Mandeep Singh, and Gurjant Singh, who have secured medals at the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, and Asian Games.
In the Lifetime category, badminton coach S. Muralidharan was celebrated for his contributions to the sport. He has mentored players like U. Vimal Kumar and Madhumita Bisht, who have won medals in events like the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and international championships.
Football coach Armando Colaco received the Lifetime award for his work in developing Indian football, including mentoring legendary players like Sunil Chhetri. His trainees have brought laurels in tournaments such as the SAFF Cup and the LG Cup.
The Dronacharya Award is presented annually to honor coaches who have consistently enabled athletes to excel in international sporting events.