Padma Awards 2024: Rohan Bopanna, Joshna Chinnappa conferred with Padma Shri
Padma Awards 2024: Rohan Bopanna and other sportspersons will be awarded Padma Shri for extraordinary contributions in the field of sports.
Rohan Bopanna, who on Thursday became the oldest player to reach men’s doubles No 1 position, has been chosen by the Indian government to receive the prestigious Padma Shri accolade alongside six other athletes. Apart from Bopanna, squash legend Joshna Chinappa will also receive the Padma Shri. The Padma Shri is the fourth-highest civilian award in India, after the Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan.
Padma Shri is awarded for extraordinary contributions in different fields of life.
Bopanna, who is 43, is set to become the No 1 player in men’s doubles when the rankings will be updated next week. The Indian achieved the accolade when along with his Australian partner Matthew Ebden, he propelled into the semi-finals of the Australian Open. They defeated the Argentinian duo of Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 6-4, 7-6.
Joshna Chinappa, 37, has won multiple medals for India the Asian Games and also has two Commonwealth Games medals and four World Championships doubles medals, including a gold in 2022, to her name.
Five more Indians will be conferred with the Padma Shri award including hockey player Harbinder Singh, Mallakhmab practitioner Uday Deshpande, archer Purima Mahtao, para badminton coach Gaurav Khanna and para swimmer Satendra Singh Lohia.
The full list of the Padma Shri award winners in sports category:
Harbinder Singh (Hockey, Coach)
Purnima Mahato (Archery, former athlete)
Satendra Singh Lohia (Swimming, athlete)
Gaurav Khanna (Badminton, Coach)
Uday Vishwanath Deshpande (Mallakhamba, Coach)
Joshna Chinappa (Squash, athlete)
Rohan Machanda Bopanna (Tennis, athlete)
What are the Padma Awards?
Padma Awards – one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The Awards are given in various disciplines / fields of activities, viz.- art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc. ‘Padma Vibhushan’ is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; ‘Padma Bhushan’ for distinguished service of high order and ‘Padma Shri’ for distinguished service in any field. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.
These Awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions which are held at Rashtrapati Bhawan usually around March / April every year.
Padma Shri follows Bopanna after incredible run in the Australian Open 2024
The new recognition for Bopanna comes on the back of an incredible run in the Australian Open 2024. Hot on the heels of reaching the final of the US Open 2023 with his partner Matthew Ebden, the Indian star would show his fine form in Melbourne as the duo made it to the summit clash.
In their win over the 6th seeds Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 6-4, 7-6 (5) in an hour and 46 minutes in the men’s doubles quarter-final, Bopanna and Ebden would confirm their ascend to the top of the doubles rankings.
The duo would then enter their first-ever Australian Open final with a win over ZZ Zhang and Tomas Machac on January 25. They will face Italian pair Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori in the final on January 27.
Legendary Chinappa adds Padma Shri to her list
Chinappa has been a trailblazer for India in squash over the years after breaking into the limelight at a young age.
Chinappa became the youngest national champion at 14 and has since clinched a record 18 senior national titles. Her international acclaim includes winning the British Junior Open in 2005 and making history with Dipika Pallikal by securing India’s first Commonwealth Games squash medal—a gold in 2014.
Chinappa reached a career-high world ranking of No. 10 in July 2016. Her triumph at the 2017 Asian Individual Squash Championships marked her as India’s first Asian Squash Champion, a milestone she considers her biggest achievement.
The icing on the cake for the squash star was winning the World Championships doubles Gold in 2022 and then adding a team bronze at the Hangzhou Asian Games
With Thanks Reference to: https://www.firstpost.com/sports/padma-awards-2024-rohan-bopanna-joshna-chinnappa-conferred-with-padma-shri-13656972.html and https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/tennis/story/padma-awards-tennis-star-rohan-bopanna-squash-player-joshna-chinnappa-conferred-with-padma-shri-2493753-2024-01-25
