Udupi: Pramod Madhwaraj, Minister of State for Fisheries, Youth Services and Sports, announced the names of 16 sportspersons for the Ekalavya Awards, two coaches for the Lifetime Achievement Awards, and 10 sportspersons for the Karnataka Kreeda Ratna Awards here on Thursday. These awards would be given to them by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at a function to be held at Amrutotsava Bhavan at Mysuru on October 7, he said.

Addressing presspersons here on Thursday, Mr. Madhwaraj said that the 16 persons selected for the Ekalayva Awards are: Damini K. Gowda (swimming), Vidya Pillai (billards), Pawan Shetty (body building), Nitin Thimmaiah (hockey), Rajguru S. (kabaddi), Krishna A. Naikodi (cycling), Arvind A. (basket ball), Arpita M. (athletics), Mohammed Rafiq Holi (wrestling), Meghan M. Sajjanar (rifle shooting), Dhriti Tatachar Venugopal (lawn tennis), Anupam D’Costa (volleyball), G.M. Nischita (shuttle badminton), Shawad G.M. (para athletics), Umesh R. Khade (para swimming) and Kanchan Munnolkar (weight lifting).

All these sportspersons would get a cash prize of Rs. 2 lakh, a bronze statue of Ekalavya and a scroll.

Coaches John Christopher Nirmal Kumar (swimming) and Shivananda R. (wrestling) will receive the life time award. They would get a cash prize of Rs. 1.5 lakh, a scroll and a shield.

In order to promote rural and traditional sports, the government is presenting Karnataka Kreeda Ratna awards. Those selected for the awards are: D.N. Rudraswami (yoga), Purnima P. (throwball), Amogh U. Chachadi (Atya-Patya), Ranjit M.P. (ball badminton), Pradeep K.C. (kho-kho), Sumith U.M. (kabaddi), Jeevandhar Ballal and Anand Irvathur (kambala), Anand L. (wrestling), and Moshappa Vittappa Gulbala (gundu ethuvudu).

These sportspersons would get a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh and a shield.

Veteran cricketer Syed Krimani was the Chairman of Ekalavya and Lifetime Achievement Awards Selection Committee, while Loknath Bolar was Chairman of Karntaka Kreeda Ratna Selection Committee, Madhwaraj said.