Dhanush Srikanth nominated for prestigious Arjuna Award

Champion shooter Dhanush Srikanth has been nominated for the prestigious Arjuna Award after winning gold with a world record at the 2025 Deaflympics. The 24-year-old shooter is now preparing for the senior World Cup and targeting the 2028 Olympics

Hyderabad: For champion shooter Dhanush Srikanth, it was a Tuesday to remember when he was nominated for the prestigious Arjuna Award.

And, the 24-year-old Srikanth could believe it only when his mentor and London Olympics bronze medallist Gagan Narang called him today to inform him about the announcement.

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“Dhanush was not sure. Because, last time also, there was a talk and some documents were asked for. So, he was just hoping that the news would be real this time around,” said the proud mother Asha Srikanth in a chat with ‘Telangana Today’.

“Only when Gagan sir spoke to him did the feeling of the Arjuna Award sink in,” she said.

“Yes, we are grateful to everyone who supported Dhanush, winner of gold in the 2025 Deaflympics with a world record score, from his early days, especially the Gun For Glory, established by Gagan Narang across India to train the shooters,” Asha said.

“Obviously, we are all delighted. This is some kind of recognition for sure and it would not have come at a better time as Dhanush is preparing for the senior World Cup (in general category) in Cairo later this year,” said an elated mother.

Dhanush, ranked World No.1 in the deaf category for shooters, feels that the Arjuna Award could well be a major confidence booster as he is preparing with the long-term goal of winning a medal in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics in the general category.

For the record, Dhanush rewrote the world record (deaf category) in the 10m air rifle en route to winning India’s first gold medal in shooting at the 25th Summer Deaflympics in Tokyo last winter.

He also broke the Deaflympics qualification record to book his spot in the finals. In the finals, Dhanush shot 252.2 to better his own world record of 251.7 and clinched the gold medal, while his teammate Mohammed Murtaza Vania secured silver with a score of 250.1.

A performance which saw the Telangana Government felicitate him and announce a cash incentive of Rs 1.20 crores a couple of months ago.

Interestingly, like many others from Telangana who were felicitated and informed about such cash incentives, Dhanush is also waiting for the incentive to materialise!