Sania Mirza has became the second tennis player to be recommended for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, while star cricketer Rohit Sharma and ace shooter Jitu Rai were among the 17 sports persons picked for this year's Arjuna awards. The names were recommended by a Sports Ministry-constituted awards committee headed by Justice V K Bali, the retired Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court. The committee included eminent sports persons and sports journalists apart from top officials of the Sports Ministry. The committee recommended 17 names for the Arjuna awards, including those of Jitu Rai , Rohit Sharma , gymnast Dipa Karmakar, hockey player P R Sreejesh, wrestling duo of Bajrang and Babita, athlete M R Poovamma, shuttler K Srikanth and boxer Mandeep Jangra. Sania, currently ranked world number one in women's doubles, scripted history by becoming the first Indian to clinch a women's doubles Grand Slam when she partnered Swiss great Martina Hingis for the Wimbledon trophy earlier this year. Sania is only the second tennis player after Leander Paes to be named for the top award. Paes had been bestowed the honour way back in 1996 after his bronze medal in the Atlanta Olympics. The Hyderabadi girl had won the Arjuna award in 2004 . In 2006, she was bestowed the Padma Shri the country's fourth highest civilian honour. The recommendations will now be sent to the Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who will take a final decision.The awards are to be given away by the President Pranab Mukherjee on August 29, the National Sports Day. The Khel Ratna carries a prize money of 7.5 lakh rupees alongwith a citation, while the Arjuna awards come with a cash prize of 5 lakh rupees and a citation.