Tennis star Rohan Bopanna and squash player Joshna Chinappa to get Padma Shri

This award is given to individuals who have made distinguished contributions to any field.

Recently crowned as the new World No.1 in men's doubles, tennis star Rohan Bopanna is among the list of recipients for the prestigious Padma Awards along with the eight people nominated from the field of sports. Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian honour in India, after Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, and Padma Bhushan. This award is given to individuals who have made distinguished contributions to any field.

Bopanna, who will be the oldest world number one when the new rankings are issued on Monday, has been a consistent performer. On Saturday, January 27, he has the opportunity to win his first-ever men's doubles major title when he competes in the Australian Open final with partner Matthew Ebden. In 2017, Bopanna won his first Grand Slam trophy, a mixed doubles title, with Canadian partner Gabriela Dabrowski at the French Open. He is only the fourth Indian to achieve this feat.

37-year-old veteran squash player Joshna Chinappa, who also made it to the list, has won multiple medals at Asian Games and is a two-time Commonwealth Games medallist. She has also won four medals at World Championships in doubles, including a gold in 2022.

Other athletes who have been selected for the honour are hockey player Harbinder Singh, Uday Deshpande (a practitioner of Mallakhmab, an indigenous sport), archer Purima Mahtao (the 1998 Commonwealth Games silver medallist and coach of the Indian team at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics), para-badminton coach Gaurav Khanna, and para swimmer Satendra Singh Lohia. They will receive the honour for their achievements and contributions to Indian sports.