VP C.P. Radhakrishnan honours Gyaneshwari Yadav, Chandani Sahu

Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan conferred Chhattisgarh’s top sports honours on weightlifter Gyaneshwari Yadav and archer Chandani Sahu at the State Alankaran Samaroh in Raipur, spotlighting the state’s rapidly rising sporting credentials at national and international levels.

Top honours and the ceremony

Gyaneshwari Yadav received the Gundadhur Samman for international excellence after finishing fifth at the World Weightlifting Championship in Manama, Bahrain, in December 2024. Archer Chandani Sahu was felicitated with the Maharaja Pravir Chandra Bhanj Deo Samman for her medal-winning run across national competitions. The ceremony was attended by Governor Ramen Deka, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, and Deputy Chief Minister and Sports Minister Arun Sao, who lauded the athletes’ achievements and urged continued investment in coaching and infrastructure.

Profiles in performance

A 22-year-old from Bhodiya village, Rajnandgaon district, Yadav represented India at the world stage, adding to her record of consistent lifts and podium pushes across national meets. Fifteen-year-old Chandani Sahu, from Bagbahara in Mahasamund, clinched a silver in the team event and a team bronze at the 38th National Games (Uttarakhand, Jan–Feb 2025). Training at the residential archery academy in Bahatarai, Bilaspur, since 2023, she also bagged a team silver at the Senior Nationals in Jamshedpur (2024) and featured at the Junior Nationals in Bholpur, West Bengal.

What the awards recognise

The Gundadhur Samman honours an outstanding sportsperson who, in the past year, has won a national senior medal for Chhattisgarh or represented India internationally in a discipline recognised by the Union sports ministry. The Maharaja Pravir Chandra Bhanj Deo Samman acknowledges a senior-category archer with a recent national medal for the state or India representation at the international level. Both citations elevate athletes who translate state support into measurable national and global success.

Exam Oriented Facts

• Event: State Alankaran Samaroh, Raipur; chief guest—Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan.
• Gundadhur Samman: awarded to weightlifter Gyaneshwari Yadav (5th at 2024 Worlds, Manama).
• Maharaja Pravir Chandra Bhanj Deo Samman: awarded to archer Chandani Sahu (National Games medals).
• Dignitaries present: Governor Ramen Deka; CM Vishnu Deo Sai; Sports Minister Arun Sao.

Pathway and policy implications

The honours underline Chhattisgarh’s focus on athlete pathways—residential academies, age-group scouting, and sport-science support—while validating community-backed training centres in districts. Administrators highlighted targets for improved competition exposure, federation alignment, and transparent scholarship disbursal so promising talents like Yadav and Sahu can convert early promise into sustained international performances.