National Sports Awards 2023: Chirag Shetty, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy Bag Khel Ratna, Shami Leads Arjuna Awardees!

New Delhi: India's badminton powerhouses Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy were conferred the prestigious Khel Ratna Award, while veteran pacer Mohammed Shami led a pack of 26 Arjuna awardees in the country's annual National Sports Awards announced on Wednesday.

The ceremony, to be graced by President Droupadi Murmu, will take place on January 9th at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Shetty and Rankireddy, fresh off their Asian Games gold and World Championships bronze, capped a stellar year with the highest sporting honour.

Shami, 33, who spearheaded India's bowling attack in the ODI World Cup with a tournament-high 24 wickets, finally earned his Arjuna after being nominated previously. The list of Arjuna awardees boasts hockey stalwarts Krishan Bahadur Pathak and Sushila Chanu, along with archery sensations Ojas Pravin Deotale and Aditi Gopichand Swami.

Boxing powerhouse Mohammad Hussamuddin, chess prodigy R Vaishali, golfer Diksha Dagar, Olympic finalist Murali Sreeshankar, para-archer Sheetal Devi, and wrestlers Antim Panghal and Sunil Kumar, among others, were also recognized for their exceptional achievements.

Five coaches were awarded the Dronacharya Award in the regular category, with Lalit Kumar (wrestling), RB Ramesh (chess), Mahaveer Prasad Saini (para athletics), Shivendra Singh (hockey), and Ganesh Prabhakar Devrukhkar (mallakhamb) being recognized for their coaching prowess. Jaskirat Singh Grewal (golf), Bhaskaran E (kabaddi), and Jayanta Kumar Pushilal (table tennis) received the Dronacharya Award in the life-time category for their lasting contributions.

Three individuals, Manjusha Kanwar (badminton), Vineet Kumar Sharma (hockey), and Kavitha Selvaraj (kabaddi), were honored with the Dhyan Chand Award for lifetime achievement in sports.

Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, bagged the coveted Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy 2023 for demonstrating excellence in promoting sports in academic institutions. Lovely Professional University and Kurukshetra University were adjudged the first and second runners-up, respectively.

The National Sports Awards, instituted in 1986, aim to recognize and reward outstanding athletes and coaches for their dedication and contribution to Indian sports. This year's list, featuring a mix of established stars and rising talents, reflects the vibrancy and diversity of Indian sporting landscape.

Key Highlights:

• Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (badminton) awarded Khel Ratna

• Mohammed Shami, Krishan Bahadur Pathak, Sushila Chanu, among 26 Arjuna awardees

• Five coaches receive Dronacharya Award (regular category)

• Three individuals honored with Dhyan Chand Award for lifetime achievement

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