New Delhi, May 1 -- 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...