Cricket Star Mohammed Shami Honored with Arjuna Award; Badminton Duo Satwik-Chirag Earn Khel Ratna for 2023

Experienced Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami is set to receive the Arjuna Award for 2023, as confirmed by the Sports Ministry on Wednesday, December 20. This accolade is a testament to his outstanding performance in the ODI World Cup, where he emerged as the leading wicket-taker with 24 wickets. In the same vein, the badminton pair Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will be honored with the Khel Ratna award for their significant contributions to badminton in 2023. Shami is among 25 other athletes who will be bestowed with the Arjuna Award.

Shami’s Journey to the Arjuna Award
Initially playing a secondary role to Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj in the World Cup, Shami’s fortunes changed following Hardik Pandya’s injury. Once he entered the playing XI, his performance was remarkable. In just seven matches, he not only became the top wicket-taker of the tournament but also set a record for India.

Shami will receive the Arjuna Award alongside other sports stars like Sushila Chanu (hockey), Pawan Kumar (Kabaddi), and several others from diverse sports including table tennis, wrestling, and wushu.

List of 2023 Arjuna Award Recipients
The complete list of Arjuna awardees includes notable names from various sports: Ojas Pravin Deotale (archery), Aditi Gopichand Swami (archery), Murali Sreeshankar (athletics), Parul Chaudhary (athletics), Mohameed Hussamuddin (boxing), R Vaishali (chess), Anush Agarwalla (equestrian), and others from sports like golf, hockey, kabaddi, kho-kho, lawn bowls, shooting, squash, and para-sports.

Dronacharya Award for Coaches
The Dronacharya Award, both in the regular and lifetime categories, honors outstanding coaches. In the regular category, recipients include Lalit Kumar (wrestling), RB Ramesh (chess), and others, while the lifetime category features coaches like Jaskirat Singh Grewal (golf) and Bhaskaran E (kabaddi).

Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement
The Dhyan Chand Award recognizes lifetime achievements in sports, with this year’s recipients including Manjusha Kanwar (badminton), Vineet Kumar Sharma (hockey), and Kavitha Selvaraj (kabaddi), acknowledging their long-standing contributions to their respective sports.