President Droupadi Murmu Honours Athletes at National Sports Awards 2023

The prestigious National Sports Awards 2023 brought India's sporting heroes together at the majestic Rashtrapati Bhawan, where President Droupadi Murmu bestowed honors upon the nation's finest athletes and coaches.

The ceremony witnessed badminton's dynamic duo, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, bask in the glory of the coveted Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, the highest sporting honor in India.

Khel Ratna Duo Soars High – Satwiksairaj & Chirag Take Center Stage

The badminton court is where dreams take flight, and for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, that dream materialized in the form of the Khel Ratna Award. Their meteoric rise in the doubles circuit, punctuated by Commonwealth Games gold and a historic Thomas Cup title win, earned them this pinnacle of recognition.

A Constellation of Arjuna Awardees – From Shami's Pace to Sreeshankar's Soaring Leap

The Arjuna Award, bestowed upon outstanding sportspersons for consistent excellence, saw a diverse and illustrious group of athletes taking center stage. Cricket's pace wizard, Mohammed Shami, found his dedication to the sport rewarded, while Sheetal Devi's phenomenal Paralympic javelin throw exploits shone bright. Athletics witnessed double joy with the inclusion of promising sprinter Aditi Gopichand Swami and the high-flying long jumper M. Sreeshankar, both earning the coveted Arjuna trophy.

Guiding Lights: Dronacharya Awards Recognize Coaching Expertise

The Dronacharya Award, honoring exceptional coaches, showcased the vital role mentors play in shaping champions. In the regular category, Maheveer Prasad Saini, the guiding force behind para-athlete Vinita Paliwal's success, stood tall alongside wrestling coach Lalit Kumar and chess mastermind R. B. Ramesh.

The Lifetime Category saw Jashkirat Singh Grewal (golf), Bhaskaran E (kabaddi), and Jayanta Kumar Pushilal (table tennis) acknowledged for their lasting contributions to their respective sports.

Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement

Recognizing lifetime accomplishments in sports, the Dhyan Chand Award honored luminaries like Manjusha Kanwar for badminton, Vineet Kumar Sharma for hockey, and Kavitha Selvaraj for kabaddi.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy Recipients

In recognition of outstanding sports achievements in universities, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, emerged as the overall winning university, followed by Lovely Professional University, Punjab, and Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, as first and second runner-up universities, respectively.

Beyond Individual Brilliance: Recognizing Institutions and Lifetime Achievement

The National Sports Awards are not just about individual brilliance; they celebrate the ecosystem that fosters sporting excellence. Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, claimed the top spot in the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy for Overall Championship amongst Universities, while Lovely Professional University and Kurukshetra University followed close behind.

Sportspersons Manjusha Kanwar (badminton), Vineet Kumar Sharma (hockey), and Kavitha Selvaraj (kabaddi) received the Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sports and Games, their journeys inspiring future generations.