Hyderabad (The Hawk): Nikhat Zareen, the women's world boxing champion, and Akula Sreeja, a player in table tennis, were both honoured with prestigious Arjuna Awards for their outstanding achievements in their respective sports by Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
He expressed his happiness that the state's two female athletes had won the top spot.
The Arjuna Awards 2022 have been announced by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports for 25 athletes who have excelled in their respective sports and competitions.
At a specially scheduled event at Rashtrapati Bhavan on November 30, the President will present the awards to the recipients.
The Chief Minister claimed that Nikhat Zareen, who won consecutive matches in women's boxing and made the nation well-known abroad, was deserving of the Arjuna Award. He claimed that the talent of "Telangana Bidda" makes the entire country proud (daughter of the soil).
He also mentioned the selection of another Telangana Bidda, Akula Sreeja, for the Arjuna award. He wished Sreeja well and expressed his hope that she would use her talent to excel in sports.
(Inputs from Agencies)