Shami, Sheetal light up ceremony in absence of Satwik-Chirag
New Delhi, January 9
President Droupadi Murmu conferred the national sports awards to the best-performing athletes in a grand ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan here today.
However, Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award winners Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy missed the ceremony owing to their participation at the Malaysia Open Super 1000 tournament.
Similarly, pistol shooter Esha Singh, who was awarded the Arjuna, missed the ceremony due to her participation at the Asian Olympics qualifying tournament in Jakarta, Indonesia. She won a quota for the country in 10m air pistol on Monday.
The ceremony started with wrestling coach Lalit Kumar being conferred with the Dronacharya Award. Interestingly, the loudest cheers were reserved for cricketer Mohammed Shami and para-archer Sheetal Devi.
Shami, who is recovering from an ankle injury sustained during the World Cup where he powered India to the final by scalping 24 wickets, was accorded a big applause as he walked up to receive his Arjuna Award.
“Today I am feeling very proud. I want to thank all those people who have helped me a lot to reach here and have always supported me in my ups and downs,” Shami posted on social media.
The Durbar Hall echoed with applause when Sheetal, who won three gold medals at the Para Asian Games last year, walked up to collect her Arjuna Award. The 16-year-old is the only international para-archery champion without upper limbs due to a rare medical condition called Phocomelia. The President held Sheetal’s award and the scroll as the teenager soaked in the atmosphere.
The President also walked down the podium to present the Arjuna Award to wheelchair-bound para-canoeist Prachi Yadav, who won a gold medal in the Para Asian Games.
R Vaishali, who last month became India’s third female chess Grandmaster, also drew a big applause. Among the 26 Arjuna Award recipients were Indian blind cricket team captain Ajay Kumar Reddy, archers Pravin Ojas Deotale and Aditi Gopichand, long jumper M Sreeshankar, boxer Mohammad Hussamuddin and rifle shooter Aishwarya Pratap Singh Tomar.
