INDIAN archer Ojas Deotale, India cricketer Jitesh Sharma, yogasana players Chakuli Selokar and Vaibhav Shrirame, carrom player Yogesh Dhongde, fencer Shruti Joshi and divyang athlete Mangla Adamkar have been selected for the prestigious Shiv Chhatrapati awards to be conferred upon by Maharashtra Government. The awards ceremony will be held in Pune on April 18 where the athletes will be rewarded at the hands of Governor of Maharashtra CP Radhakrishnan. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde and other ministers will also remain present on the occasion. State Sports Minister Dattatray Bharne declared the awards on Tuesday at Mumbai.

 

The awards will be given for 2022-23 and 2023-24 season. All the sportspersons, barring Jitesh Sharma, are from Nagpur. Indian stumper Jitesh will be getting the award as a resident of Amravati. Ojas Deotale Archer Ojas has won many a medals for the country. He has recently won a bronze medal in the compound category. In 2023, Ojas won a gold medal in the men’s individual compound event at 2023 World Archery Championships in Berlin, becoming the first Indian male archer to do so. He also won a medal at the 2022 Asia Cup and the 2023 Archery World Cup.

 

Jitesh Sharma Indian T20 wicketkeeper Amravati-born Jitesh got his maiden call-up for Indian cricket team in January 2023 against Sri Lanka for T20I series. He made his international debut against Nepal on 3 October 2023 during the 2022 Asian Games. Later, he was also part of the Indian team for the Australia series. Jitesh is at present playing for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the ongoing Indian Premier League.

 

Vaibhav Shrirame and Chakuli Selokar Vaibhav Waman Shrirame and Chakuli Bansilal Selokar have done the yoga fraternity proud by winning the prestigious awards. International yoga player Vaibhav has won a gold, two silver and two bronze representing India at 24th Amateur World Yogasana Championship. Vaibhav has been Maharashtra’s pride in the last two National Games. He was on fire in the 36th edition of the national event bagging three golds and two bronze medals while in the next edition, he picked two golds and a silver. In the Khelo India University Games, Vaibhav bagged two golds and one silver, representing the RTMNU thrice. He is representing Maharashtra from a tender age and clinched ‘Best of Best Yogi’ titles in 2011 and 2014 at School Nationals. Chakuli has been a top yoga player since last 15 years. She also impressed all in the 36th (2022), 37th (2024), and 38th (2024), National Games winning four golds, two silver and one bronze medal combined. She won a silver in the Khelo India University Games in Bengaluru (2022) and a gold at Varanasi in 2023. Representing Nagpur district and Maharashtra State, she has won a lot of medals. Both are members of Amit Sports Academy and train under Sandesh Khare.

 

Shruti Joshi Shruti Joshi, who has been a regular medal winner in fencing at national level in senior category, has represented India twice in international events. She took part in the Asian Cadet and Junior Fencing Championship that was held in Amman, Jordan in 2019 and later took part in the Asian Cadet and Junior championship in 2023 that was hosted by Uzbekistan (Tashkent). Shruti has been representing district and Maharashtra State right from 2015 and in fact in her first major tournament, she won a gold medal. Her coach Ankit Gajbhiye and Mohammad Shoeb, Secretary, Nagpur Fencing Association, have hailed her selection for the prestigious award.

 

Mangla Adamkar Mangla Nainsukh Adamkar, a para athlete who excels in shot put and discus throw has been selected for the top State award in Divyang category. The 30-year-old practices on her own at a makeshift ground near her residence as proper grounds of the city are quite a distance from her place. her latest achievement being a participant in the Khelo India Youth Games. Apart from the above sportspersons, athletes from Vidarbha including archers from Buldhana Prathamesh Jawarkar, Amravati’s Manjari Alone and Sanjay Bhoge, Amravati’s Vipul Ghurde (rowing) and baseball player Rekha Dhangar have also been selected for the prestigious awards.