Mumbai: Para-archer Sheetal Devi, who won a million hearts through her sensational performance in the Para Asian Games in Hangzhou, won the Sportstar of the Year (Female) award at the Sportstar Aces Awards 2024 here on Thursday. She was also feted with the Moment of the Year award with her gold medal-winning video going viral globally.
“I was born and brought up in a very small village in Kashmir. My life changed when I came to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board. I thought I could never be an archer. I would like to thank the Shrine Board, OGQ and the Archery Association of India for supporting me. I feel I can do anything with my legs, what people can do with their hands. It’s my dream to win gold at the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympics Games and keep the Indian Tri-colour flying high,” expressed an optimistic Sheetal Devi.
Muralitharan was presented with the first-ever International Icon award at the event. There could not have been a more deserving star than the Sri Lankan spinning legend, who took a stunning 800 Test wickets.
Cricket legend Rahul Dravid won the Coach of the Year award while the Indian cricket team bagged the honours of the National Team of the Year for its fine performance in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup where it finished runner-up behind Australia. Mohammed Shami bagged the honours for Sportsman of the Year (Team Sports) for his outstanding efforts in the World Cup among other events in 2023.
“I come from a place which lacked proper facilities and it continues to lack proper resources for a player to succeed. The awards that I have received are because of luck, determination and the support from my family and all of you. There are a lot of youngsters I have come across who have the talent and passion to make it big, but just don’t have the right facilities. So, I feel the need to connect with such players and try and help them get the best facilities,” stated Shami.
Tamil Nadu bagged the award for Best State for the Promotion of Sport. Udhayanidhi Stalin, Minister of Youth Welfare and Sports Development, Govt of Tamil Nadu, received the award. Tamil Nadu hosted the prestigious Hero Men’s Hockey Asian Champions Trophy in 2023 and also conducted the Khelo India Youth Games recently, apart from taking up several initiatives to promote sports in the State. “I extend my sincere gratitude to The Hindu Group, Sportstar and jury members for recognising Tamil Nadu as the best State for promoting sports in India. One major reason for such recognition is our Honorable Chief Minister M. K. Stalin. He sees sports not merely as an extracurricular activity, but as an integral part of our character. Today I would like to extend my congratulations to the players of Maharashtra for securing first place in the recently conducted Khelo India Youth Games 2023, which was held in Tamil Nadu. The Sportstar Awards serve as a catalyst, propelling us to greater heights,” Udhayanidhi said.
Legendary India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, former India hockey captain M. M. Somaya, chess great Viswanathan Anand, Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, and Olympians Anjali Bhagwat and Aparna Popat are the members of the Sportstar Aces 2024 jury.
The awards ceremony in Mumbai was attended by the crème de le crème of the sports world including jury members Gavaskar, Anand, Somaya, Anjali, Aparna, tennis legend Leander Paes, P. T. Usha, Viren Rasquinha, Joaquim Carvalho, Amol Muzumdar, Praveen Amre and Suma Sirur among others.
Full list of the winners:
- Men’s Relay Team – Sportsman of the Year (Track and Field)
- Parul Chaudhary – Sportswoman of the Year (Track and Field)
- Hardik Singh – Sportsman of the Year (Team Sports)
- Mohammed Shami – Sportsman of the Year (Team Sports)
- Vandana Katariya – Sportswoman of the Year (Team Sports)
- Satwiksairaj Rankireddy & Chirag Shetty – Sportsman of the Year (Individual)
- Rameshbabu Vaishali – Sportswoman of the Year (Individual)
- Sift Kaur Samra – Sportswoman of the Year (Individual)
- Sumit Antil – Sportsman of the Year (Para Sports)
- Thulasimathi Murugesan – Sportswoman of the Year (Parasports)
- Rahul Dravid – Coach of the Year
- Prathamesh Samadhan Jawkar – Young Achiever of the Year (Male)
- Tilottama Sen – Young Achiever of the Year (Female)
- Chandu Borde – Lifetime Achievement Award
- Karnam Malleshwari – Lifetime Achievement Award
- Neeraj Chopra – Sportstar of the Year (Male)
- Sheetal Devi – Sportstar of the Year (Female)
- India Men’s Cricket Team – National Team of the Year
- Saurashtra Cricket Team – Club/ State Team of the Year
- Sheetal Devi – Moment of the Year
- Muttiah Muralitharan – International Icon
- Tamil Nadu – Best State for the Promotion of Sport
- NTPC Ltd – Best PSU for the Promotion of Sport
- Tata Steel Ltd – Best Corporate for the Promotion of Sport
- SRM Institute of Science and Technology – Best University for the Promotion of Sport
- Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board – Sports for Social Good
- Rohan Bopanna – Ace of Aces — Special Recognition Award
