On January 9th, 2024, Indian Blind Cricket Team Captain Ajay Kumar Reddy was awarded the prestigious Arjuna Award. This award was given to Reddy by the Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The 33-year-old was one of the 26 athletes to receive this special recognition from the Government of India.
Moments before Reddy could receive this honour, Dr. Mahantesh G Kivadasannavar, Chairman of the Cricket Association for the Blind in India wrote a LinkedIn post. Dr. Mahantesh wrote, “Honoring Excellence in Sports! Illuri Ajay Kumar Reddy, Captain of the Indian Men’s Cricket Team for the Blind, is set to receive the prestigious Arjuna Award. He stands on the threshold of this remarkable achievement at the doors of Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi!”
Born on January 3rd, 1990, Ajay Kumar Reddy lost his vision as a child due to an accident. However, Reddy did not let this incident hamper his dream and made a name for himself in Blind Cricket. After debuting for the national team in 2010, the 33-year-old performed well in guiding India to the Blind T20 World Cup in 2012 and the Blind Cricket World Cup in 2014.
Due to his extraordinary performances on the field, Ajay Kumar Reddy was appointed the captain of the Indian Blind Cricket team in 2016. Since then, Reddy has led India to win the Blind T20 Asia Cup, the 2017 Blind T20 World Cup(x3), and the 2018 Blind Cricket World Cup. He was also the captain of the Indian Blind Cricket Team, which received a silver medal at the IBBSA World Games 2023.
Ajay Kumar Reddy winning the Arjuna Award is a significant moment for Indian sports, as his story will inspire athletes and citizens across the nation. It is also an achievement for the Indian Blind Cricket Team, which has performed well over the years.
Complete list of athletes who won the Arjuna Award:
Ojas Pravin Deotale(Archery), Parul Chaudhary(Athletics), Aditi Gopichand Swami(Archery), Mohammad Hussamuddin(Boxing), R Vaishali(Chess), Mohammed Shami(Cricket), Anush Agarwalla(Equestrian), Divyakriti Singh(Equestrian Dressage), Diksha Dagar(Golf), Krishan Bahadur Pathak(Hockey), Sushila Chanu(Hockey),
Pawan Kumar(Kabaddi), Ritu Negi(Kabaddi), Nasreen(Kho-Kho), Pinki(Lawn Bowls), Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar(Shooting), Esha Singh(Shooting), Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu(Squash), Ayhika Mukherjee(Table Tennis), Sunil Kumar(Wrestling), Antim Panghal(Wrestling), Naorem Roshibina Devi(Wushu), Sheetal Devi(Para Archery), Illuri Ajay Kumar Reddy(Blind Cricket), Prachi Yadav(Para Canoeing), Murali Sreeshankar(Athletics)
Varun Anand Bhat | The Sportz Planet
