A dazzling awards ceremony was held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Tuesday as President Droupadi Murmu felicitated some of India’s biggest sporting heroes with this year’s national sports honors.
Cricketer Mohammed Shami and badminton’s top-ranked men’s doubles pair Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy were among the prominent awardees who attended the high-profile event.
Shami, the hero of India’s historic Thomas Cup triumph, received enthusiastic applause when he stepped up to receive his Arjuna Award. Meanwhile, the absent Chirag-Satwik duo were chosen for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award – India’s highest sporting honor – after their sensational 2022 season.
The two became India’s first doubles team to be ranked No. 1 while also clinching a maiden badminton gold for the country at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year.
Other prominent winners of this year’s Arjuna Award included Asian Games gold-medallist wrestlers Antim Panghal and Sunil Kumar, world championship boxing bronze medal winner Mohammad Hussamuddin, and Asian Para Games double gold medallist archer Sheetal Devi.
Devi scripted history by becoming India’s first international para archer without upper limbs, overcoming a rare genetic disorder.
Among coaches, chess guru R.B. Ramesh, who has groomed several talents like R. Praggnanandhaa, was recognized with the Dronacharya Award for his extensive contribution to the sport.
The awards, conferred every year on August 29 to mark hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand’s birth anniversary, had been pushed to 2023 this time due to the previous year’s Hangzhou Asian Games in China.
In her address, President Murmu lauded the award winners for bringing glory to the nation through their inspirational performances. She also exhorted India’s youth to take the examples set by the country’s sporting icons in striving for excellence.
The ceremony capped a memorable weekend for Indian sports after the country topped the medal tally at the Asian Youth Para Games and also witnessed paddler Sreeja Akula winning a historic gold at the WTT Contender Nova Gorica 2023 tournament.
