Badminton stars Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy have been awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award for their excellence in badminton. Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya presented the award to the duo in New Delhi on Thursday at the Sports Authority of India headquarters. The celebrated duo, previously named for the honour, were unable to attend the Rashtrapati Bhawan ceremony due to prior commitments.
The February ceremony was postponed after Satwik’s father R Kasi Viswanatham died of cardiac arrest on the scheduled day.
Mandaviya posted on X, “Felicitated and presented the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2023 to our badminton champions, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, in New Delhi today. This award is a testament to their dedication and exceptional performances on the court. I wish them the very best in their future endeavours.”
The accomplished duo has won gold medals at the 2022 Asian and Commonwealth Games, and the 2023 Asian Championships. In 2023, Satwik set a Guinness World Record for the fastest badminton smash by a male player, achieving a speed of 565 km/h. “As my shuttle soared at 565 kmph, I realized the true speed of a father’s pride – an unbreakable record in my heart,” Satwik had posted on social media, sharing a video of his father unwrapping his Guinness World Record certificate.