Mohammed Shami nominated for Arjuna Award, Satwiksairaj-Chirag for Khel Ratna
The two had an incredible year, making it to as many as six finals and taking home five victories.
Statesman News Service | New Delhi | December 14, 2023 4:30 pm
Photo: IANS
The men’s doubles badminton team of Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty received nominations for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, the country’s highest sports prize.
The two had an incredible year, making it to as many as six finals and taking home five victories. They took home victories at the Korea Open, Indonesia Open, Swiss Open, Asian Games, and Asian Championships. They finished second in the China Masters. This year, Satwik-Chirag became the first Indian doubles duo to achieve No. 1 in the world rankings of the BWF, marking their ascent to the pinnacle of the international game.
A representative of the Badminton Association of India (BAI) confirmed the development before it was formally announced, stating: “Athletes now apply directly for the awards. Following scrutiny, the national sports federation (NSF) and the sports ministry discuss the athlete’s candidacy for the prize. With justification, the federation either grants or withholds consent. Given their success in the global arena, players and the association typically have a casual conversation prior to applying. Before submitting their applications, Satwik and Chirag spoke with us. I think the final date was December 2.
Adding to this, BAI further said, “We haven’t heard from the ministry yet. Naturally, we will accept their nomination. They are our priceless jewels.”.
The last announcement will come from the Union Sports Ministry. Satwik-Chirag will win the trophy as the first-ever badminton doubles winner. Badminton stars Pullela Gopichand, Saina Nehwal, and PV Sindhu are the recipients of the Khel Ratna award.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has recommended pacer Mohammed Shami, one of the country’s stars from the ODI World Cup, for this year’s Arjun Award. The 33-year-old had a tremendous tournament at the ODI World Cup, where India finished second best, losing to Australia in the finals.
According to ministry sources, Mohammed Shami was not initially listed on the list of recipients of the nation’s second-highest sporting accolade; thus, the BCCI had to make a special request to add his name.
When given the chance, Shami shone brightly, taking 24 wickets at an average of 5.26 after sitting out the first four games. Shami is also likely to serve his national team for the upcoming India’s two-off test series against South Africa.
The first boxing test will take place in Centurion on December 26. The second test will take place in Cape Town on January 3.
Along with Shami, Asian Games silver medalist Roshibina Devi (wushu), pistol shooter Esha Singh, Greco-Roman wrestler Sunil Kumar and kho kho player Nasreen Shaikh are also in line for the Arjuna Award.
Similar to the previous year, Khel Ratna has only one name because 12 people were given the award following the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Some of the best performers from the Hangzhou Asian Games, where India achieved a first-ever 100-medal mark with 107 medals, are included in the Arjuna Award list.
Compound archers Aditi Swami and Ojas Deotale, who became world champions this year and won medals in Hangzhou; India men’s hockey team members Krishan Bahadur Pathak and Sushila Chanu; boxer Mohammad Hussamuddin; chess grandmaster R Vaishali; golfer Diksha Dagar; shooter Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar; wrestler Antim Panghal; and Ayhika Mukherjee (table tennis) are among those on the list.
Lalit Kumar (wrestling), Ganesh Prabhakaran (mallakhamb), Mahavir Saini (para athletics), RB Ramesh (chess), and Shivendra Singh (hockey) are the nominees for the Dronacharya Award, while Vineet Kumar Sharma (hockey) and Kavita (kabaddi) are the nominees for the Dhyan Chand Lifetime Award.
After his outstanding return to competitive cricket during the last round of Ranji Trophy matches, star India pacer Mohammed Shami will now spearhead Bengal’s bowling attack in the forthcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy.
The upcoming five-Test series between India and Australia will kick off at the new stadium in Perth, but the older venue, Western Australia Cricket Association (WACA) will have a deeper say in the efforts put by both teams ahead of the opening Test from November 22.
