Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya presented the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award to badminton duo Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy at the Sports Authority of India headquarters in New Delhi on Thursday, completing their pending felicitation from last year which they couldn’t attend due to playing commitments.
The February ceremony was postponed after Satwik’s father R Kasi Viswanatham died of cardiac arrest on the scheduled day.
“Felicitated and presented the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2023 to our badminton champions, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, in New Delhi today,” Mandaviya posted on X.
“This award is a testament to their dedication and exceptional performances on the court. I wish them the very best in their future endeavours,” he added.
The accomplished duo has won gold medals at the 2022 Asian and Commonwealth Games, and the 2023 Asian Championships.
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They made history as the only Indian doubles pair to reach the No. 1 spot in BWF World Rankings and claim a BWF World Tour Super 1000 title.
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.
The original award ceremony was scheduled at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, but the players couldn’t attend due to their competitive commitments.
