Pankaj Advani wins Khel Ratna award

NEW DELHI: Young cueist Pankaj Advani, who has created ripples with his achievements on the green baize, was on Wednesday named for the country's highest sporting honour --the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna -- for the year 2005.

The 20-year-old Commerce student in a Bangalore college created history by winning the World Billiards title at Qawra, Malta to become only the second cueist to bag the coveted honour since Geet Sethi in 1992.

The list surprisingly did not include any male cricketer as former women's captain Anju Jain was the only cricketer to figure among the Arjuna awardees.

Shooter Gagan Narang, star hockey player Viren Rasquinha, ace shuttler Aparna Popat, swimmer Shikha Tandon and paddler Soumyadeep Roy were among those who were named in 15-member list.

The Khel Ratna comprises a cash award of Rs 5 lakh, a scroll of honour while the Arjuna award carries a purse of Rs 3 lakh, a statute and a scroll of honour.

The awards will be given away by the President APJ Abdul Kalam at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on August 29.

Uday Prabhu (athletics), Commander Nandy Singh (hockey) and Harish Chandra Birajdar were selected for the Dhyan Chand awards for the year 2006.

Coaches Captain M Venu (boxing), Balwan Singh (kabaddi), Maha Singh Rao (wrestling) and Ismail Baig (rowing) were named for the prestigious Dronacharya awards.