Gagan Narang

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2010–11: Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna

Athlete Preeja Sreedharan (from left),shuttler Jwala Gutta, Gagan Narang, boxer Suranjoy Singh and football player Sunil Chhetri at Rastrapati Bhawan

Devadyuti Das | TNN

The Times of India, Aug 30, 2011

Gagan Narang has had a lot of firsts in his career, but the honour of leading the 20 athletes for the National Sports Awards at the Rashtrapati Bhawan was something special. The ace shooter was accorded the nation's highest sporting honour - the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna - while 19 athletes were conferred the Arjuna Award. The 28-year-old shooter was also the first Indian to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics.

“I have had many firsts in my life. This award has been a long time coming but that doesn't take any sheen off the joy I am feeling. Qualifying first for Olympics is great but it doesn't guarantee anything because I even qualified first for the 2008 Beijing Olympics,” Narang told TOI after receiving the award from President Pratibha Patil.

The number of athletes receiving the Arjuna Award this year went up substantially keeping in mind the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games last year. Out of the 19 Arjuna awardees only tennis star Somdev Devvarman, cricketer Zaheer Khan, gymnast Ashish Kumar and discus thrower Vikas Gowda failed to turn up for the function.

Narang, who brought home a haul of four gold medals at the Delhi Commonwealth Games last year, has been waiting for this award for a long time but his next goal is the Olympics. “I don't think there is any extra pressure on me since I have qualified first for it. Everyone who goes to the Olympics, goes there with the sole aim of winning a medal. If everything falls into place, I think I will be able to bring back a medal,” the 28-year-old shooter, who was accompanied by his parents, said.