Sindhu, Saurabh win ESPN India’s player of year award

New Delhi, Feb. 20 (IANS): Ace Indian shuttler PV Sindhu and shooter Saurabh Chaudhary bagged the female and male sportsperson of the year in the ESPN India Annual Multi-Sport Awards announced on Thursday.

Sindhu, who became the first Indian player to win the World Badminton Championship title, bagged the award for the third time in a row.

Dutee Chand was named as the first winner of the ESPN India Courage Award.

Koneru Humpy won the award for the ‘Comeback of the Year’. She claimed her first world title in December 2019 by winning the Women’s World Rapid Chess Championships in Moscow to cap a remarkable comeback to the sport.

Wrestler Deepak Punia won ESPN’s ‘Emerging Sportsperson of the Year Award 2019’.

Pullela Gopichand, chief national badminton coach, claimed the ‘Coach of the Year’ Award, following up from nurturing two Olympic medalists in Saina and Sindhu. Under his tutelage, India was to find its first badminton world champion in August 2019.

Manu Bhaker-Saurabh Chaudhary grabbed the ‘Team of the Year Award’. The 10m air pistol mixed team combination completed their clean sweep at the 2019 World Cups.

30-year-old Manasi Joshi won ‘Differently-abled athlete of the year/Para-athlete of the year Award’. Joshi became world champion after winning the gold medal at the BWF Para-Badminton World Championships in 2019.

Balbir Singh (Senior), one of independent India’s most celebrated Olympians, was conferred with ESPN’s ‘Lifetime Achievement’ Award 2019.