"Big achievement for our game": Indian women's kho-kho team captain Nasreen Shaikh on being nominated for Arjuna Award

New Delhi [India], December 22 : Captain of Indian women's kho-kho team Nasreen Shaikh reflected on being nominated for the prestigious Arjuna Award, saying that it is a proud achievement that the game which was not famous, considered a sport by many is now being recognised by the government.

Nasreen Shaikh, who captained India to a gold medal at the South Asian Games and was nominated for the Arjuna Award, applauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's effort to take every sport to new heights.

The 23-year-old, who has a staggering 40 Indian championship trophies, was a member of the squad that won both the Asian and South Asian championships.

"It is a matter of pride for me that my game Kho-Kho is getting the Arjuna Award. My family is very happy and this is a big achievement for our game as well. I played in London for the first time in an international tournament," Nasreen Shaikh told ANI.

"Everyone has played this game in their childhood. PM Modi has promoted every game a lot and that made such a big impact that today it has been included in the list of Arjuna Award. I just want to say that no game is small," Shaikh stated.

National Sports Awards are given every year to recognize and reward excellence in sports. Arjuna Award for outstanding performance in Sports and Games is given for good performance over a period of the previous four years and for showing qualities of leadership, sportsmanship and a sense of discipline.

"People used to question me what kind of game is this. The game that was nothing to anyone is now a lot to everyone after being nominated for the Arjuna Award. I am glad that my name is recommended for such a great honour in the country and I am delighted my family and I are in seventh heaven I am feeling so good that a game which used to be played for time pass in the house now is recognised by govt also," she added.

Meanwhile, Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI) president Sudhanshu Mittal expressed gratitude to PM Modi's government for giving the national award to indigenous games.

"I am happy that a game that is not popular now will receive the prestigious honour of the country and I am thanks to the Modi govt that they continue to give national awards to indigenous games," Mittal told ANI.

The awardees will receive their awards from the President of India at a specially organized function at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 9, 2024 (Tuesday) at 11:00 hours, as per a press release from the ministry.

Arjuna Award: Mohammed Shami (cricket), Ajay Reddy (blind cricket) Ojas Pravin Deotale (archery), Aditi Gopichand Swami (archery), Sheetal Devi (para archery), Parul Chaudhary and Murali Sreeshankar (athletics), Mohd Hussamuddin (boxing), R Vaishali (chess), Divyakriti Singh and Anush Agarwalla (equestrian), Diksha Dagar (golf), Krishan Bahadur Pathak (hockey), Sushila Chanu (hockey), Pinky (lawn ball), Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar (shooting), Antim Panghal (wrestling), Ayhika Mukherjee (table tennis), Esha Singh (shooting), Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu (squash), Sunil Kumar (wrestling), Naorem Roshibina Devi (wushu), Prachi Yadav (para canoeing), Pawan Kumar (kabaddi), Ritu Negi (kabaddi), Nasreen (kho kho).

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