New Delhi, Aug. 2 :    New Delhi, Aug. 2:  Weightlifting coach Hansa Sharma became the first woman to be selected for the Dronacharya Award since its inception in 1985. Calcutta-based tennis coach Akhtar Ali has been given the Arjuna award for life-time contribution while Pullela Gopichand got the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award. For the second successive year, no footballer was considered for the Arjuna. A record number of six hockey players have been chosen for the Arjuna of whom Calcutta- born Baljit Singh Saini and national women's goalkeeper Tingonleima Chanu are among the current players. For Venkatesh Prasad, it will be a day to remember. Today he was chosen for the Sri Lanka tour and also received the Arjuna. AWARDEES Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (Cash prize Rs. 3 lakh) - P. Gopichand. Dronacharya (Cash prize Rs. 2.5 lakh) - Gurdial Singh Bhangu (hockey), Hansa Sharma (weightlifting), Phadke Gopal Purushottam (kho kho), S. M. Arif (badminton) and Bhupender Dhawan (powerlifting). Arjuna (cash prize Rs. 1.5 lakh) - K.M. Beenamol (athletics), George Thomas (badminton), S. Vijaylakshmi (chess), Venkatesh Prasad (cricket), Baljeet Singh Saini and Tingonleima Chanu (hockey), Anjali Vedpathak Bhagwat and Abhinav Bindra (shooting), Sebastian Xavier and J. Abhijith (swimming), Randhir Singh and Kripal Shanker Patel (wrestling) and. Sanamacha Chanu Thingbaijam (weightlifting). Lifetime contribution: Milkha Singh, Rachana Govil and Vijay Mala Bhanot (all athletics), Kalpana Debnath (gymnastics), R.S. Bhola, Balkishan Singh, Jalaluddin Rizvi and Madhu Yadav (all hockey), Surender Singh Kanwasi (rowing), Gurbir Singh Sandhu (shooting), Akhtar Ali (tennis), P.V. Ramana (volleyball) and Late K.D. Jadhav and Naresh Kumar (wrestling). Physically challenged receipients:Yadvendra Vashishta (athletics), Vijay Bhalchandra Munishwar (athletics and power lifting) and Joginder Singh Bedi (athletics).