New Delhi [India], May 1 (ANI): Olympians Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award from Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment, Mansukh Mandaviya, in Delhi on Thursday.

The ace badminton pair, who reached the No. 1 rank in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings in 2023 and clinched the Asian Games gold medal in Hangzhou, were shortlisted for the Khel Ratna award in 2023. However, they were unable to receive it due to tournament commitments at the time.

Praising the current World No. 11 duo, Mandaviya said, 'Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna is the highest sporting honour of the country. Satwik and Chirag, both of you, have brought honour to the country by winning medals in international competitions through extraordinary skills and sheer hard work. When you stand on the podium along with the Tricolour to receive the prestigious medals, it is not only an honour for you but for the entire nation. For raising the pride of the country and for enhancing the honour of the Tricolour, both of you have been honoured by the Khel Ratna,' as quoted from a release by SAI Media.

Expressing his joy on receiving the Khel Ratna, Chirag Shetty said that the honour was long due.

'Finally, we received it today. It was long overdue. It was announced in 2023. We are very happy to receive the Khel Ratna from our honourable Sports Minister. The support from the Government of India has been tremendous since the time Satwik and I 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,' he said.

Echoing the sentiments, Satwik said, 'We couldn't go to the Rashtrapati Bhavan to receive the Khel Ratna award last year. Finally, to get it now is a huge boost for our confidence as we are going off-track and not playing for the next few months. It motivates us to get back and do well in the upcoming tournaments. The government is playing a huge role as the youngsters today are being supported through many schemes and initiatives - Khelo India, Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), etc. Intially, when Chirag and I started playing, we struggled financially. Later, the government came to our support, and there was no looking back.'

The Indian pair finished on the podium twice - at the Malaysia Open and India Open in New Delhi - this January to begin their season on a decent note. However, niggles and minor injuries have pegged them back. Their next assignment are the Singapore Open (May 27 - June 1) and the Indonesia Open (June 3-8). (ANI)