Mithali Raj adjudged 'Sportsperson of the Year'; PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth win 'best athlete' awards

Hyderabad: Indian women’s cricket team captain Mithali Raj was adjudged ‘Sportsperson of the Year’ while ace shuttlers Kidambi Srikanth and PV Sindhu bagged the best senior male and female athletes at the Telangana Sports Journalists Association annual awards for 2017.

Mithali Raj was not present to receive the award and her parents received it on her behalf from BV Papa Rao, Advisor to the Telangana government.

Former BCCI president N Shivlal Yadav gave away the ‘best senior male athlete’ award to Srikanth while tennis star Sania Mirza presented the ‘best senior female athlete’ award to Sindhu.

Former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman presented ‘best coach of the year’ award to Gopichand, who received this award for second time in a row, an Association release said.

Triple Olympian and former national hockey player N Mukesh Kumar was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement award at the event.

National selection committee chairman MSK Prasad, who gave away the ’team of the year’ award to Hyderabad cricket team, urged the youngsters to play it fair.

“Play the game fairly. I urge all the upcoming sports persons to play sport within the sport,” he said, according to the release.

Papa Rao urged for reforms in federations. Ace gymnast B Aruna Reddy was honoured with the outstanding achievement award at the event, the release added.