The SportsMinistry has recommended the name of MC Mary Kom for the prestigious PadmaVibhushan award. This is the first time ever that the ministry has recommendedthe name of a woman athlete for the country's second highest civilian honour.

BesidesMary, the Ministry has recommended PV Sindhu's name for the Padma Bhushanaward. In August, she became the first Indian to win the world championship.

TheMinistry has recommended nine names for the Padma awards, and interestingly,all the nine athletes are women.

Theother seven women – Vinesh Phogat, table tennis star Manika Batra, T20I skipperHarmanpreet Kaur, hockey captain Rani Rampal, former shooter Suma Shirur andmountaineer twin sisters, Tashi and Nungshi Malik have all been recommended forthe Padma Shri.