National Sports Awards 2023: Celebrating Excellence in Indian Sports
The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has announced that applications for the National Sports Awards will be accepted until November 14. These prestigious awards include the Arjuna Award, Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, Arjuna Award (Lifetime), and the Dronacharya Award, among others.
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award
Last year, the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, India’s highest sports honor, was awarded to the badminton duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. Known as ‘Sat-Chi’, they achieved remarkable success in 2023, winning three Badminton World Federation (BWF) titles: the Swiss Open, Indonesia Open, and Korea Open. They also secured India’s first-ever badminton gold at the Asian Games in Hangzhou and the Asian Championships gold in April. In October 2023, they became the first Indian doubles pair to be ranked world number one in BWF rankings.
Arjuna Award Recipients
The Arjuna Award recognizes outstanding performance in sports. Last year’s recipients included Mohammed Shami (cricket), Ajay Reddy (blind cricket), Ojas Pravin Deotale (archery), and many others across various sports disciplines.
Dronacharya and Dhyan Chand Lifetime Awards
The Dronacharya Award honors exceptional coaches, with last year’s winners including Ganesh Prabhakaran (mallakhamb) and Mahavir Saini (para athletics). The Dhyan Chand Lifetime Award was given to Kavita (kabaddi), Manjusha Kanwar (badminton), and Vineet Kumar Sharma (hockey).
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy
The MAKA Trophy is awarded to the top-performing university in inter-university tournaments. In 2023, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, won the trophy, with Lovely Professional University, Punjab, and Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, as runners-up.
The National Sports Awards aim to recognize and reward excellence in sports, encouraging athletes and coaches to continue their outstanding contributions to Indian sports.
Doubts Revealed
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy -: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy is an Indian badminton player known for his achievements in doubles events. He plays alongside Chirag Shetty.
Chirag Shetty -: Chirag Shetty is an Indian badminton player who partners with Satwiksairaj Rankireddy in doubles matches. Together, they have won several prestigious titles.
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award -: The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award is India’s highest sporting honor, given to athletes for their outstanding performance in sports.
Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports -: This is a part of the Indian government responsible for promoting sports and youth activities in the country.
Arjuna Award -: The Arjuna Award is a prestigious award given by the Indian government to recognize outstanding achievement in national sports.
BWF titles -: BWF stands for Badminton World Federation, and BWF titles refer to championships organized by this international governing body for badminton.
Asian Games -: The Asian Games is a multi-sport event held every four years where athletes from all over Asia compete in various sports.