New Delhi: Asian Badminton Gold medalist pair Chirag Chandrashekhar Shetty and Satwik Sai Raj Rankireddy were conferred with Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2023 for their outstanding performance in international arena in the year. Among others Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami received Arjun Award from the President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu.
Today, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, conferred the prestigious Sports and Adventure Awards 2023 in a ceremony that celebrated the achievements and contributions of outstanding athletes and adventurers. The ceremony marked the recognition of talent and dedication in the field of sports and adventure.
The Awards presented included the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Awards-2023, the highest sporting honor in the country; Dronacharya Awards-2023, recognizing excellence in coaching; Arjuna Awards-2023, honoring exceptional athletes; Dhyan Chand Awards-2023, for lifetime contribution to sports; Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards-2022, celebrating remarkable feats in adventure; Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar-2023, acknowledging contributions to sports development; and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy-2023, recognizing excellence in sports among universities.
The ceremony not only celebrated the achievements of the awardees but also highlighted the importance of sports and adventure in shaping a healthy and vibrant nation. The President, in her address, commended the dedication and passion of the awardees and encouraged the youth to take inspiration from their journeys. The Sports and Adventure Awards 2023 underscored the nation’s commitment to recognizing and promoting excellence in sports and adventure.
Here is the list of awardees.
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award
- Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (badminton)
- Chirag Shetty (badminton)
Arjuna Award
- Ojas Pravin Deotale (archery)
- Aditi Swami (archery)
- M Sreeshankar (athletics)
- Parul Chaudhary (athletics)
- Mohammad Hussamuddin (boxing)
- R Vaishali (chess)
- Mohammed Shami (cricket)
- Anush Agarwalla (equestrian)
- Divyakriti Singh (equestrian dressage)
- Diksha Dagar (golf)
- Krishan Bahadur Pathak (hockey)
- Pukhrambam Sushila Chanu (hockey)
- Pawan Kumar (kabaddi)
- Ritu Negi (kabaddi)
- Nasreen (kho-kho)
- Pinki (lawn bowls)
- Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar (shooting)
- Esha Singh (shooting)
- Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu (squash)
- Ayhika Mukherjee (table tennis)
- Sunil Kumar (wrestling)
- Antim Panghal (wrestling)
- Naorem Roshibina Devi (wushu)
- Sheetal Devi (para archery)
- Illuri Ajay Kumar Reddy (blind cricket)
- Prachi Yadav (para canoeing)
Dronacharya Award regular category
- Ganesh Prabhakaran (mallakhamb)
- Mahavir Saini (para athletics)
- Lalit Kumar (wrestling)
- RB Ramesh (chess)
- Shivendra Singh (hockey)
Dronacharya Award lifetime category
- Jaskirat Singh Grewal (golf)
- Bhaskaran E (kabaddi)
- Jayanta Kumar Pushilal (table tennis)
Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement
- Kavitha Selvaraj (kabaddi)
- Manjusha Kanwar (badminton)
- Vineet Kumar Sharma (hockey)
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy 2023
- Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar (Winner)
- Lovely Professional University, Punjab (1st runner-up)
- Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra (2nd runner-up)