Nagoya, Japan: Archer Kumkum Mohod and wrestler Sujeet Kalkal have been named the inaugural recipients of the Jaspal Rana Award and Raja Randhir Singh Award, respectively, by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) for their outstanding performances at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
The awards have been instituted by the IOA to honour the best female and male sportspersons of the Games and commemorate the legacy of two stalwarts of Indian sport who died earlier this year.
Seventeen-year-old Mohod, making her Asian Games debut, won three medals, including two gold, and played a pivotal role in ending South Korea's long-standing dominance in women's recurve archery.
IOA president PT Usha hailed Mohod's achievement, saying, "It is fitting that Kumkum is the first recipient of the Jaspal Rana Award, as Jaspal too burst onto the scene as a prodigy at the 1994 Asian Games. Her composure under pressure and her ability to find her best form when her back was to the wall augur extremely well for Indian Archery.
"India's archers have been knocking on the door for more than a decade now, and I firmly believe that this performance by Kumkum and her recurve teammates has shattered the glass ceiling for Indian archery," she said.
"India came close to winning a maiden Olympic medal in the sport at the Paris Olympics, and I am convinced that final frontier will be breached at the Los Angeles Olympics."
Kalkal, meanwhile, was named the inaugural recipient of the Raja Randhir Singh Award after winning gold in the men's 65kg freestyle wrestling category.
Hailing Kalkal's performance, Usha said, "Wrestling is India's sport, and Sujeet's performance will be spoken of for years to come. The gold medal will be celebrated, but his never-say-die attitude and refusal to accept silver have earned him a special place in the hearts of all Indians," she said.
"Winning gold medals in elite competition is not easy, but equally important is the effort that goes in when your back is against the wall. I wish Sujeet all success in the years ahead and will be rooting for him to deliver India's first-ever wrestling gold medal at the Olympic Games in two years' time," Usha said.
The IOA will felicitate Mohod and Kalkal at a ceremony in the coming days.
Mohod, along with Ankita Bhakat and Kirti, won the women's recurve team gold, ending South Korea's run of seven consecutive Asian Games titles dating back to the 1998 Bangkok Games.
She followed it up with gold in the individual event, ensuring that South Korea's women failed to win a recurve gold at the Asian Games for the first time in the history of the discipline.
Her individual gold also secured a quota place for India at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The 23-year-old Kalkal produced one of the most dramatic performances of the Games, defeating reigning Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka of Japan in the semifinal before staging a remarkable comeback in the gold-medal bout against Abdulmazhid Kudiyev.
Kalkal trailed 2-9 with time running out but fought back spectacularly to secure a 10-9 victory.
He also continued India's strong tradition in the 65kg category, following Olympic medallists Yogeshwar Dutt and Bajrang Punia, who won gold in the same weight class at the 2014 and 2018 Asian Games respectively.
India finished fourth in the Asian Games medal standings with 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze medals.
