In the the Padma Awards list for 2017, which hockey player received the Padma Shri in the field of Sports Hockey?

Introduction / Context:
This question focuses on civilian honours, specifically the Padma Awards for the year 2017, and links them to Indian hockey. The Padma Shri is a high civilian award given for distinguished service in any field. Here, you are asked to identify which hockey player received the Padma Shri in the category Sports Hockey in 2017.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The year is 2017.
• The award in focus is the Padma Shri.
• The field is Sports Hockey.
• The options are Sardar Singh, P. R. Sreejesh, Ramandeep Singh, Yuvraj Walmiki, and Rani Rampal.
• Exactly one of these players was awarded the Padma Shri in 2017 for hockey.

Concept / Approach:
The correct approach is to recall the official Padma awards list for 2017. Many sportspersons from different disciplines were honoured that year, but only one male hockey player received the Padma Shri for his contribution to Indian hockey. While several of the names listed are associated with Indian hockey, only P. R. Sreejesh is recorded as a Padma Shri awardee in 2017 in the category Sports Hockey.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Padma Awards are announced every year on the eve of Republic Day and include Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri.Step 2: Look at the list of 2017 Padma awardees, especially under Sports.Step 3: Identify the hockey players who are known to have received Padma honours. P. R. Sreejesh, the Indian hockey goalkeeper and captain, is noted as a Padma Shri awardee in 2017.Step 4: Verify that Sardar Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Yuvraj Walmiki, and Rani Rampal were not Padma Shri awardees in 2017, even though they are noted Indian hockey players.Step 5: Conclude that the only correct option for the Padma Shri 2017 in Sports Hockey is P. R. Sreejesh.

Verification / Alternative check:
The official Padma awards website and government notifications list all recipients by year and category. For 2017, under the sports category, you can clearly see P. R. Sreejesh mentioned with the notation Sport Hockey against his name as a Padma Shri recipient. Sports news articles and profiles of P. R. Sreejesh also highlight that he was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2017. Cross checking with a reliable civil honours GK table in a standard competitive exam book will give the same information.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Sardar Singh: A famous Indian hockey midfielder and former captain who has received other honours, but he was not listed as a Padma Shri awardee in 2017.
• Ramandeep Singh: A forward for the national team, but there is no record of him receiving the Padma Shri in 2017.
• Yuvraj Walmiki: An Indian forward known for his performance in international tournaments, yet he does not appear in the 2017 Padma Shri list.
• Rani Rampal: A celebrated captain of the Indian women hockey team, honoured later with major awards, but not with the Padma Shri in 2017.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates often confuse the years in which prominent hockey players received awards, or mix up the Padma Shri with other honours such as the Arjuna Award or the Khel Ratna. Another common issue is to assume that the most famous name must be the awardee, rather than checking the specific year and category. Being precise with both year and award title is essential for such questions.

Final Answer:
P. R. Sreejesh received the Padma Shri in 2017 in the category Sports Hockey, so option B is correct.