26 sportspersons received the prestigious Arjuna Award on Tuesday from Droupadi Murmu, the President of India. The list mostly features athletes from the Asian Games 2023 where India made history by winning over 100 medals.
Sheetal Devi, the world’s first armless woman archer, who won three medals in the Para Games in Hangzhou, was among the recipients.
President Droupadi Murmu presented the Arjuna Award to Mohammed Shami, the only cricketer to win the honour this year.
Shami, who had a remarkable 2023, received the honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan following his nomination by the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
Expressing his happiness, Shami described the award as a dream come true, emphasizing the significance and pride associated with such recognition in the sporting world.
Aditi Swami, the 17-year-old archer who made history in August as the youngest world champion in Berlin, is now navigating an intriguing challenge. Her remarkable achievement in winning gold at the World Archery Championships in the women’s compound category not only made her a national sensation but also marked her as India’s first individual gold medalist in the event.
President Droupadi Murmu conferred Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar, 2023 on Odisha Mining Corporation Limited (OMC) for their multi-tiered approach to promoting sports.
OMC sponsors Hockey India, enabling them to contribute to the team’s training, equipment, and participation in international tournaments.
Dhyan Chand Awards 2023 was conferred to Ms Manjusha Kanwar for her achievements in Badminton, Vineet Kumar Sharma for his achievements in Hockey and Kavitha Selvaraj for her achievements in Kabaddi.
