Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya presented the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award to badminton stars Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy in New Delhi on Thursday, completing a long-pending felicitation of the celebrated duo.
Chirag and Satwiksairaj were named for the honour last year but could not attend the glittering ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan owing to their playing commitments.
They were due to receive the award from Mandaviya in February but that too had to be postponed after Satwiksairaj's father R Kasi Viswanatham died of cardiac arrest on the day of the brief ceremony for which he was scheduled to travel.
“Finally, we received it today. It was long due. It was announced in 2023. So, we are very happy to get the Khel Ratna from our honourable Sports Minister. The support from the Government of India has been tremendous since the time me and Satwik were paired together. All our big wins -- whether becoming the World No. 1, winning Asian Games gold or clinching the Thomas Cup title -- a lot of credit goes to the Indian government for their continuous support," said Chirag.
"The government is playing a huge role as the youngsters today are being supported through a lot many schemes and initiatives – Khelo India, Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) etc. Intially, when I and Chirag started playing we struggled financially. Later, government came to our support and there was no looking back," said Satwiksairaj.
Satwiksairaj and Chirag Shetty have been trailblazers in Indian badminton.
The duo won a gold at the 2022 Asian and Commonwealth Games, and the 2023 Asian Championships. The duo is the only Indian doubles pair to hold the No. 1 spot in the BWF World Rankings and win a BWF World Tour Super 1000 title.
In 2023, Satwiksairaj also set a Guinness World Record for the fastest badminton smash by a male player, reaching a speed of 565 km/h.
He had shared a heartwarming video on social media featuring his father unwrapping his Guinness World Record certificate.
"As my shuttle soared at 565 kmph, I realized the true speed of a father's pride -- an unbreakable record in my heart," he had posted at that time in a tribute to his father's contribution in his growth.
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