The National Sports Awards for the year 2023 were officially declared by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on 20 December 2023. These awards, presented annually, aim to acknowledge and celebrate outstanding achievements in the field of sports. The Selection Committee, led by Justice AM Khanwilkar, a retired Judge from the Supreme Court of India, evaluated the nominees. The committee included distinguished sports personalities, individuals with expertise in sports journalism, and sports administrators.
The recipients were honored in a special ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 9 January 2024. President of India Droupadi Murmu conferred the awards to deserving individuals in recognition of their exceptional contributions to sports.
The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2023 is bestowed upon athletes who have demonstrated remarkable and exceptional performances in sports over the preceding four years. The recipients Chirag Chandrashekhar Shetty and Rankireddy Satwik Sai Raj have been acknowledged for their achievements in the sport of badminton.
The Arjuna Awards 2023 are bestowed upon individuals who have demonstrated exceptional performance in Sports and Games over the past four years, showcasing qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, and discipline. This year, a total of 26 recipients from various sports have been honored.
Ojas Pravin Deotale and Aditi Gopichand Swami (Archery), Sheetal Devi (Para Archery), Sreeshankar M and Parul Chaudhary (Athletics), Mohameed Hussamuddin (Boxing), R Vaishali (Chess), Mohammed Shami (Cricket), Anush Agarwalla (Equestrian) Divyakriti Singh (Equestrian Dressage), Diksha Dagar (Golf), Krishan Bahadur Pathak and Pukhrambam Sushila Chanu (Hockey) Pawan Kumar and Ritu Negi (Kabaddi) Nasreen (Kho-Kho) Pinki (Lawn Bowls), Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Esha Singh (Shooting) Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu (Squash) Ayhika Mukherjee (Table Tennis), Sunil Kumar and Antim (Wrestling), Naorem Roshibina Devi (Wushu), Illuri Ajay Kumar Reddy (Blind Cricket), Prachi Yadav (Para Canoeing).
The Dronacharya Award 2023 for exceptional coaches in Sports and Games is bestowed upon coaches who have consistently demonstrated outstanding and meritorious contributions. These coaches play a pivotal role in enabling athletes to excel in international events. The award is presented in two categories: regular and lifetime achievement. In the current year, this prestigious award has been conferred upon a total of eight recipients.
Regular Category Awardees (5): Lalit Kumar (Wrestling), RB Ramesh (Chess), Mahaveer Prasad Saini (Para Athletics), Shivendra Singh (Hockey), Ganesh Prabhakar Devrukhkar (Mallakhamb).
Lifetime Achievement Category Awardees (3): Jaskirat Singh Grewal (Golf), Bhaskaran E (Kabaddi), Jayanta Kumar Pushilal (Table Tennis).
The Dhyan Chand Award 2023 for Lifetime Achievement in Sports and Games is bestowed upon individuals to recognize their significant contributions to the realm of sports through outstanding performances and ongoing efforts in promoting sporting events even post their retirement. In the current year, this prestigious award has been conferred upon three recipients.
Manjusha Kanwar (Badminton), Vineet Kumar Sharma (Hockey), Kavitha Selvaraj (Kabaddi)
My heartfelt congratulations to all the winners of the National Sports Awards 2023. Your contribution to Indian Sports is immense and the recognition is well deserved.
I would like to express my gratitude to the Hon'ble President of India, @rashtrapatibhvn Smt. Droupadi Murmu… pic.twitter.com/aRftzCEULt
— Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) January 9, 2024
(With inputs from PIB)
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