Only six Padma Shri for sportspersons

New Delhi, Jan 25 (IBNS) Hockey legend Zafar Iqbal, women's cricket team captain Jhulan Goswami and archer Limba Ram are among the six sportspersons who will be conferred with the Padma Shri award.

Besides the trio, the other three are Ajeet Bajaj (skiing), Devendra Jhajrija (athletics- Paralympics) and Mohammed Arif (badminton), who is also the coach of India´s top badminton player Saina Nehwal.

Ravi Chaturvedi (commentary) and Prabhakar Vaidya (physical education) also have been named for Padma Shri in the sports category.

Jhulan, an Arjuna Awardee, is the top ranked bowler in the ICC women´s Test rankings and in the 2006-07 season she played a key role in Indian team´s first Test series win in England. Jhulan was named ICC woman Player of the Year 2007 and won the MA Chidambaram trophy for best woman cricketer in 2011.

Zafar was a member of the 1980 team that won the India´s last Olympic gold medal in Moscow . He also led the team at the Asian Games (1982) and the 1984 Summer Olympics and was a coach of the national side early 1993 to October 1994.

Limba one of the best archers India had. In 1989, he reached the World Championship quarter-finals in Switzerland and placed second in the individual event at the Asian Cup, where he also helped the team win the gold.

Limba also finished fourth at the Beijing Asian Games. He was honoured with the Arjuna in 1991.

Limba was also the coach of the Indian team during the 2010 Commonwealth Games.