Shetty was part of the Indian team that successfully defended their men’s team table tennis crown at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The only Indian table tennis player to receive the Arjuna Award this year was Sreeja Akula, who won mixed doubles gold at Birmingham 2022 alongside Sharath Kamal Achanta, who was part of the successful men’s team alongside Shetty.

"This year, I was very confident (to win the Arjuna Award)," said Shetty, as reported by Sportskeeda.

"If you have two gold and one bronze and one Asian Championship bronze, if you have four medals and if you calculate the points, you have better points than the other two players.

"I thought this year I have a high chance of getting the Arjuna Award.

"But when I saw the names, I wasn’t on the list.

"OK, she (Akula) deserved it, but why not me?

"I don’t know how they calculate.

"If you see the points table, I had better points than two of them.

"Because for next year these two medals won’t be considered.

"I am not sure but I assume in the table tennis fraternity I will be the only player who has got two gold medals in two Commonwealth Games but not be awarded the Arjuna Award.

"At that moment I felt very bad and was very heavy.

"That day I didn’t practice and took off. I was in the room a bit upset.

"But after two days I started normal training and then I said, ‘if not, this year, maybe next year.'"

Meanwhile Kamal Achanta, Shetty’s teammate at Birmingham picked up the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, India’s highest sporting honour this year.

Kamal Achanta won golds in men’s singles, plus in the mixed doubles and men’s teams categories in Birmingham, as well as men’s doubles silver.

Paying tribute to Kamal Achanta, Shetty added: "For him, it’s a very big achievement. I think he should have got this award long back.

"He truly deserves this award and for the sport, I think it’s a great thing because only two players have got the Dhyan Chand award".

The previous Indian table tennis player to win the award was Manika Batra in 2020, who won four medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.

India topped the table tennis medal table at Birmingham 2022, winning four golds, one silver and two bronzes.

A total of 25 sportspeople won this year’s Arjuna Award, with the accolades handed out by the President of India Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi.