# Hyderabad athletes Gayatri Gopichand, Dhanush Srikanth get Arjuna Award

2026-08-18T19:18:56+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 2 independent outlets

Two Hyderabad athletes, badminton player Pullela Gayatri Gopichand and deaf shooter Dhanush Srikanth, have been selected for the Arjuna Award under the National Sports Awards 2025, with 17 sportspersons honoured overall. Gayatri, daughter of badminton legend Pullela Gopichand, is among India's leading women's doubles players and was selected alongside her partner Treesa Jolly. Dhanush Srikanth, a 24-year-old hearing-impaired shooter, won gold with a world record at the 2025 Deaflympics in Tokyo, scoring 252.2 in the 10m air rifle final. He is ranked world No. 1 in the deaf category and is preparing for the senior World Cup in Cairo and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Telangana Today reports he was informed of the award by mentor Gagan Narang. His mother Asha Srikanth said he had been unsure after previous delays. The Telangana government had earlier announced a cash incentive of Rs 1.2 crore, which Dhanush is still awaiting.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

Both sources report the Arjuna Award selections, but Telangana Today adds human detail: Dhanush's uncertainty, his mother's relief, and the pending Rs 1.2 crore state incentive, a government-critical undercurrent about delayed promises. Telugu360 sticks to a neutral listing of recipients. The measured read: Dhanush's achievement is remarkable, but the cash delay is a real issue. Watch for the Telangana government's payment and his World Cup performance in Cairo.

## Coverage

Coverage: 2 sources, 1 government-critical, 1 neutral
- telugu360.com (neutral report) <https://www.telugu360.com/hyderabads-gayatri-gopichand-dhanush-srikanth-selected-for-arjuna-award/>
  Straight announcement of Arjuna Award list with no commentary
- telanganatoday.com (government critical) <https://telanganatoday.com/dhanush-srikanth-nominated-for-prestigious-arjuna-award>
  Highlights Dhanush's mother mentioning pending Rs 1.2 crore state incentive

This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-08-19T13:01:03+00:00.

Tags: Arjuna Award, Dhanush Srikanth, Hyderabad, Pullela Gayatri Gopichand, Treesa Jolly
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