I got Arjuna award because of my contributions as a Crickter - Ashwin

Indian off-spinner, R Ashwin was presented with the Arjuna Award trophy by Minister of State, Independent Charge, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday. Ashwin, who earlier could not attend the official ceremony as he was in England for the cricket series. 

The Arjuna Award is presented by the Indian Government for outstanding achievement in sports, and Ashwin was one of the recipients in the year 2014. 

 “It was a very proud moment. I had not seen the trophy before and when I actually saw it, I was very pleased”, Ashwin said,

Since its establishment in 1961, 47 Indian cricketers have so far received the Arjuna Award. 

“When I started playing cricket, I didn’t even know that the Arjuna Award exists. When I received it, I realized how far I have come from where I started. I got this award because of my contributions as an Indian cricketer and my passion for the game. I love the game of cricket. I just want to improve every day as a cricketer and serve my country to the best of my abilities. I would like to think of this award as a part of that process,” he said.

with inputs from BCCI Website