India’s accomplished badminton players, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, are set to be honored with the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports recently announced the recipients of the National Sports Awards 2023. The awards will be presented to deserving sportspersons, coaches, and entities at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 9, 2024.
Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy’s Achievement
Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy’s stellar badminton journey reached new heights when they claimed the gold medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou earlier this year. This victory propelled them to the pinnacle of the BWF rankings in October. Their outstanding performance in 2022 includes securing five BWF World Tour titles, a remarkable feat encompassing victories at the Indian Open, French Open, Swiss Open, Indonesia Open, and Korea Open.
The impending recognition of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award is a testament to their unwavering dedication and exceptional achievements in the realm of badminton. The awards ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 9, 2024, will undoubtedly be a momentous occasion as they join the esteemed list of Indian sports luminaries who have received this prestigious honor.
What is Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award:?
The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award is bestowed upon individuals who have displayed exceptional and outstanding performances in their respective sports over the past four years. Notably, chess grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand was the inaugural recipient of this esteemed award in 1991-92. Cricket legends such as Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Mithali Raj have also been honored with this prestigious accolade.
Nomination Process and Evaluation Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award
Nominations for a given year are accepted until April 30th or the last working day of April. Each sports discipline allows a maximum of two nominees. A meticulous twelve-member committee meticulously scrutinizes sportspersons’ performances at esteemed international events, including the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games. The committee then submits their recommendations to the Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports for final approval..
Transition in Naming of Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award
Originally named after Rajiv Gandhi, the 6th Prime Minister of India, from 1991 to 2021, the award underwent a transformative change on August 6, 2021. It was then renamed after Major Dhyan Chand, a legendary Indian field hockey player celebrated for scoring over 1000 goals during his illustrious 20-year career from 1926 to 1948.
History of Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award
|
Year |
Recipient |
Sports |
| 2023 | Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty |
Badminton |
| 2022 | Sharath Kamal |
Table tennis |
| 2021 | Neeraj Chopra |
Athletics |
| 2021 | Ravi Kumar Dahiya |
Freestyle wrestling |
|
2021 |
Lovlina Borgohain |
Boxing |
| 2021 | P. R. Sreejesh |
Hockey |
| 2021 | Avani Lekhara |
Paralympic shooting |
| 2021 | Sumit Antil |
Para-athletics |
| 2021 | Pramod Bhagat |
Para-badminton |
| 2021 | Krishna Nagar |
Para-badminton |
|
2021 |
Manish Narwal |
Paralympic shooting |
|
2021 |
Mithali Raj |
Cricket |
|
2021 |
Sunil Chhetri |
Football |
|
2021 |
Manpreet Singh |
Hockey |
|
2020 |
Rohit Sharma |
Cricket |
|
2020 |
Mariyappan Thangavelu |
Paralympic high jump |
|
2020 |
Manika Batra |
Table tennis |
|
2020 |
Vinesh Phogat |
Freestyle wrestling |
|
2020 |
Rani Rampal |
Hockey |
|
2019 |
Deepa Malik |
Paralympic (shot put, javelin) |
|
2019 |
Bajrang Punia |
Freestyle wrestling |
| 2018 | Saikhom Mirabai Chanu |
Weightlifting |
| 2018 | Virat Kohli |
Cricket |
|
2017 |
Devendra Jhajharia |
Paralympic javelin |
|
2017 |
Sardara Singh |
Hockey |
|
2016 |
P. V. Sindhu |
Badminton |
| 2016 | Dipa Karmakar |
Gymnastics |
| 2016 | Jitu Rai |
Shooting |
|
2016 |
Sakshi Malik | Freestyle wrestling |
| 2015 | Sania Mirza |
Tennis |
| 2013 | Ronjan Sodhi |
Shooting |
|
2012 |
Vijay Kumar |
Shooting |
|
2012 |
Yogeshwar Dutt |
Freestyle wrestling |
| 2011 | Gagan Narang |
Shooting |
| 2010 | Saina Nehwal |
Badminton |
|
2009 |
Mary Kom |
Boxing |
| 2009 | Vijender Singh |
Boxing |
| 2009 | Sushil Kumar |
Freestyle wrestling |
| 2007 | Mahendra Singh Dhoni |
Cricket |
|
2006 |
Manavjit Singh Sandhu |
Shooting |
|
2005 |
Pankaj Advani |
Billiards and Snooker |
| 2004 | Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore |
Shooting |
|
2003 |
Anju Bobby George |
Athletics |
|
2002 |
K. M. Beenamol |
Athletics |
| 2002 | Anjali Bhagwat |
Shooting |
| 2001 | Abhinav Bindra |
Shooting |
|
2000–2001 |
Pullela Gopichand |
Badminton |
|
1999–2000 |
Dhanraj Pillay |
Hockey |
| 1998–1999 | Jyotirmoyee Sikdar |
Athletics |
| 1997–1998 | Sachin Tendulkar |
Cricket |
|
1996–1997 |
Leander Paes |
Tennis |
|
1995–1996 |
Nameirakpam Kunjarani |
Weightlifting |
|
1994–1995 |
Karnam Malleswari |
Weightlifting |
| 1993–1994 | Homi Motivala |
Yachting (Team event) |
|
1993–1994 |
Pushpendra Kumar Garg |
Yachting (Team event) |
| 1992–1993 | Geet Sethi |
Billiards |
| 1991–1992 | Viswanathan Anand |
Chess |
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