The 2020 National Sports Awards has brought a milestone moment for Indian badminton as it received a record six awards, which also included its first-ever Dhyan Chand Award for lifetime achievement. The prestigious Dhyan Chand Award was conferred to three former star shuttlers Pradeep Gandhe, Trupti Murgunde and Satyaprakash Tiwari (para) for their contribution to the sports.
Gandhe, who won doubles bronze at the 1982 Asian Games, was a contemporary of the likes of Prakash Padukone and Syed Modi. The two-time South Asian gold medallist Murgunde was known for her tactical brilliance on court.
Alongside Tiwari, who has nine international medals to his name in recognised para events, para badminton team's head coach Gaurav Khanna was also honoured with Dronacharya award. Under Khanna, the Indian team has scripted many glorious moments which also include gold medals at the World Championship.
“Receiving Dhyan Chand Award for the first time is a special moment for the Indian badminton. Such recognitions always encourage us to work harder. On behalf of the Badminton Association of India (BAI) and President Himanta Biswa Sarma, I would like to congratulate all three winners of Dhyan Chand Award as well as the other recipients including coach Khanna who took para team to new heights," BAI Secretary Ajay Singhania said.
India's No. 1 men's doubles team members Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy also received the Arjuna award for their impressive performances in 2019. “The youngsters always give hope of a brighter future. It's great to see Chirag and Satwik performing so well and consistently on the international circuit. They deserve such rewards for their performances. I'm sure Indian shuttlers will continue to bring laurels for the country," Singhania added.
In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, the National Sports Awards will be conferred to the awardees on August 29 in a virtual ceremony.
File photo of Pradeep Gandhe. (Photo Credit: BAI)
Satyaprakash Tiwari (Photo Credit: BAI)
File photo of Trupti Murgunde. (Photo Credit: BAI)
File photo of Gaurav Khanna. (Photo Credit: BAI)
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