Mohammed Shami received the Arjuna Award from President Droupadi Murmu at the National Sports Awards
Mohammed Shami [left] Shami received the Arjuna Award from President Droupadi Murmu at the National Sports Awards [right]Twitter

It was indeed a momentous day for Indian sports players, as 26 sportspersons received the Arjuna Award on January 9, 2024, from Droupadi Murmu, the President of India, at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

The list mostly features athletes from the Asian Games 2023, where India made history by winning over 100 medals in a single edition of the event.

Mohammed Shami receives Arjuna Award at National Sports Awards

However, it was wicket-taker Mohammed Shami's splendid innings at the 2023 World Cup that wowed the nation. His commendable wicket-taking tactics. Although India lost the World Cup to Australia, Shami stole the show.

Cricketer Mohammed Shami couldn't hold his excitement after being bestowed with the prestigious Arjuna Award for his exemplary performance as a cricketer.

'Thanks for recognising my hard work': Mohammed Shami gets emotional 

Cricketer Mohammed Shami reacted after winning the Arjuna Award. Shami Shami posted on X, "Today I am feeling very proud that I have been honoured with the prestigious Arjuna Award by the President. I want to thank all those people who have helped me a lot to reach here and have always supported me in my ups and downs... thanks to My Coach, BCCI, teammates, family, and staff and big thanks to my fans..Thanks for recognising my hard work..I will always try to give my best to make my country proud...

Achievements and accolades of Shami during WC 2023

Shami, who had missed out on the first half of the tournament, made an entry in India's fifth league stage match against New Zealand and made an impact that a lot of bowlers have not made in their entire World Cup careers.

In seven matches, Shami took 24 wickets at an average of 10.70 and a strike rate of 12.20, with the best figures of 7/57. Shami had three five-wicket hauls and a four-wicket haul in the tournament.

In 18 WC matches, Shami has taken 55 wickets at an average of 13.52 and a strike rate of 15.81, with the best figures of 7/57. He is the fifth-highest wicket-taker in tournament history.

Others won the award

Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Esha Singh, who both helped India win as many as 22 medals in shooting, also received the Arjuna award. Naorem Roshibina Devi won the silver medal in Hangzhou, and she also features in the list.

Ayhika Mukherjee, who won the bronze medal in women's doubles along with Sutirtha Mukherjee, is a part of the 26-member list as well. R Vaishali, the sister of 18-year-old Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, was also a part of the list.

List of Arjuna Award winners 2023

1) Ojas Pravin Deotale (archery)

2) Aditi Gopichand Swami (archery)

3) Murali Sreeshankar (athletics)

4) Parul Chaudhary (athletics)

5) Mohammad Hussamuddin (boxing)

6) R Vaishali (chess)

7) Mohammed Shami (cricket)

8) Anush Agarwalla (equestrian)

9) Divyakriti Singh (equestrian dressage)

10) Diksha Dagar (golf)

11) Krishan Bahadur Pathak (hockey)

12) Sushila Chanu (hockey)

13) Pawan Kumar (kabaddi)

14) Ritu Negi (kabaddi)

15) Nasreen (kho-kho)

16) Pinki (lawn bowls)

17) Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar (shooting)

18) Esha Singh (shooting)

19) Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu (squash)

20) Ayhika Mukherjee (table tennis)

21) Sunil Kumar (wrestling)

22) Antim Panghal (wrestling)

23) Naorem Roshibina Devi (wushu)

24) Sheetal Devi (para archery)

25) Illuri Ajay Kumar Reddy (blind cricket)

26) Prachi Yadav (para canoeing)

Meanwhile, the Khel Ratna comes with a cash prize of ₹25 lakh, and the Arjuna and Dronacharya awards include a cash prize of ₹15 lakh.

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