In a grand ceremony on Tuesday at Rashtrapati Bhawan, President of India Droupadi Murmu offered the esteemed National Sports Awards to the nation’s most interesting athletes.

This yr’s awards ceremony, which often takes place on August 29, was postponed from September 23 to October 8 due to the Hangzhou Asian Games.

Shuttlers Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy have been bestowed with the distinguished Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award, the very best sporting honour of India.

Chirag and Satwik got the distinguished award for an excellent 2023 by which they gained the Indonesia Open Super 1000 title, the Asian Championships title, and their first Asian Games gold, a primary for badminton for India.

Both athletes weren’t current on the ceremony as they’re presently competing within the Malaysia Open Super 1000.

Team India quick bowler Mohammed Shami has been conferred with the the Arjuna Award, India’s second highest sporting award for his exploits on the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023.

Shami emerged because the main wicket-taker of the match. He claimed 24 wickets at a median of 10.70 and a strike charge of 12.20 in seven video games, with the very best figures coming from a 7/57 effort.

In addition to recording the best bowling figures by an Indian in World Cup historical past, Shami claimed three five-wicket hauls and one four-wicket haul through the competitors.

Other distinguished athletes chosen for the Arjuna award this yr embrace para-archer Sheetal Devi who earned two gold medals on the Asian Games in Hangzhou. She is the primary worldwide para-archer with out higher limbs due to a uncommon sickness known as phocomelia.

Boxer Mohammad Hussamuddin, who took residence a bronze in final yr’s world championship and wrestler Antim Panghal – a former junior world champion and bronze-winner on the senior occasion final yr acquired the award, too.

Archer Ojas Pravin was additionally conferred with the award for his efficiency on the 2023 Asian Games the place he gained two gold medals. Shooter Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar who earned 4 medals on the Asiad additionally grew to become the recipient of the distinguished award.

Acknowledgment was given to chess grandmaster R. Vaishali, who after Koneru Humpy and Dronavalli Harika grew to become the third Indian lady to carry the title of grandmaster.

Notable absentees included 19-year-old Esha Singh, a pistol capturing star who’s taking part in Jakarta for the Asian Olympic Qualifiers. Singh certified for the Olympics in Paris by taking first place in each the person and workforce 10m air pistol occasions.

Chess coach RB Ramesh, who skilled Praggnanandhaa, is among the recipients of the Dronacharya award. Kabaddi coach Edachery Bhaskaran was additionally given the award.

• Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award for 2023: Chirag Shetty and Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy (badminton).

• Arjuna Awards: Ojas Pravin Deotale (archery), Aditi Gopichand Swami (archery), Murali 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), Sushila Chanu (hockey), Pawan Kumar (kabaddi), Ritu Negi (kabaddi), Nasreen (kho-kho), Pinki (garden bowls), Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar (capturing), Esha Singh (capturing), Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu (squash), Ayhika Mukherjee (desk 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 (common class) for excellent coaches: Lalit Kumar (wrestling), RB Ramesh (chess), Mahaveer Prasad Saini (para athletics), Shivendra Singh (hockey), Ganesh Prabhakar Devrukhkar (mallakhamb).

• Dronacharya Award (life-time class) for excellent coaches: Jaskirat Singh Grewal (golf), Bhaskaran E (kabaddi), Jayanta Kumar Pushilal (desk tennis).

• Dhyan Chand Award for lifetime achievement: Manjusha Kanwar (badminton), Vineet Kumar Sharma (hockey), Kavitha Selvaraj (kabaddi).

• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy 2023: Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar (general winner college); Lovely Professional University, Punjab (1st runner -up), Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra (2nd runner-up).