Harmanpreet Kaur, captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, was announced as a Padma Shri awardee on Sunday, joining eight other current and former sportspersons on the 2026 Padma Awards list and her father, Harminder Singh Bhullar, said that the people of the country should motivate their children to pursue sports, which might lead them to bring glory to their family and country.
This prestigious list of awardees includes five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri recipients. Harman had earlier received the Arjuna Award in 2017 and has been honoured again, this time with the Padma Shri, after bringing glory to the nation by winning the Women’s World Cup.
"It feels very good that the government has announced my daughter’s name for the Padma Shri. Our request to the people of the country is that they should give their children opportunities to move ahead—opportunities to play and to study. In this way, your children, too, will bring glory to your name. It feels wonderful that my daughter’s name has been included among the 131 names," Harminder told IANS.
