The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports announced the National Sports Awards 2025 on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. A Selection Committee chaired by former Supreme Court Judge Justice (Retd.) Arun Kumar Mishra reviewed the nominations and finalised this year’s honourees. The government based its decisions directly on the committee’s recommendations.
This year’s announcement carried one notable surprise. No athlete received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, India’s highest sporting honour. Instead, the spotlight fell squarely on the Arjuna Awards, where 17 athletes earned recognition across a wide range of sports.
Quick Facts: National Sports Awards 2025
- Announced by: Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports
- Announcement date: Tuesday, August 18, 2026
- Selection Committee Chair: Justice (Retd.) Arun Kumar Mishra, former Supreme Court Judge
- Khel Ratna Award: Not conferred this year
- Arjuna Award winners: 17 athletes
- Arjuna Award (Lifetime): Isaiah Arumainayagam (Football)
- Dronacharya Award winners: 3 coaches
- Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar: Army Paralympic Node, Pune
Why No Khel Ratna Award This Year?
For the first time in recent memory, the Ministry did not name any athlete for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. This award traditionally recognises the most spectacular and outstanding sporting performance over the previous four years.
The Ministry has not offered a detailed public explanation for this gap. However, the absence stands out sharply against recent years, when high-profile athletes like Manu Bhaker, D Gukesh, and Harmanpreet Singh received the honour. As a result, this year’s announcement puts extra attention on the Arjuna Award list instead.
Meet the 17 Arjuna Award Winners
Tejaswin Shankar leads this year’s Arjuna Award list. He created history at the Commonwealth Games by winning bronze in the decathlon, becoming the first Indian athlete to medal in that event at the Games.
Chess produced another standout story. Divya Deshmukh stunned the chess world by winning the FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025, becoming the first Indian woman to claim the title. In an all-Indian final, she defeated veteran compatriot Koneru Humpy 1.5-0.5 in rapid tie-breaks to complete a fairytale run in Baku.
Here is the complete list of Arjuna Award recipients across different sports:
- Tejaswin Shankar — Athletics
- Muhammed Ajmal Variyathodi — Athletics
- Priyanka Goswami — Athletics (Race Walk)
- Treesa Jolly — Badminton (Doubles)
- Pullela Gayatri Gopichand — Badminton (Doubles)
- Narender — Boxing
- Vidit Santosh Gujrathi — Chess
- Divya Deshmukh — Chess
- Dhanush Srikanth — Para Shooting
- Lalremsiami Hmarzote — Hockey
- Rajkumar Pal — Hockey
- Surjeet — Kabaddi
- Pooja — Kabaddi
- Rudransh Khandelwal — Para Shooting
- Ekta Bhyan — Para Athletics
- Arvind Singh — Rowing
- Akhil Sheoran — Shooting
National Sports Awards 2025: Full Award Breakdown
| Award Category | Recipient(s) |
|---|---|
| Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna | Not awarded this year |
| Arjuna Award | 17 athletes (list above) |
| Arjuna Award (Lifetime) | Isaiah Arumainayagam (Football) |
| Dronacharya Award | Parveer Singh (Athletics), Chhote Lal Yadav (Boxing), Neha Nandkumar Chavan (Shooting) |
| Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar | Army Paralympic Node, Pune |
Isaiah Arumainayagam: This Year’s Lifetime Achievement Honouree
Veteran footballer Isaiah Arumainayagam will receive the Arjuna Award (Lifetime) this year. He represented India at the 1962 Jakarta Asian Games, where the team won gold. He also formed part of the Indian squad that finished runner-up at the 1964 AFC Asian Cup in Israel.
The Arjuna Award (Lifetime) exists specifically to honour athletes who continue contributing to sports promotion long after their playing careers end. Isaiah’s decades-long connection to Indian football made him a fitting choice for this year’s honour.
Dronacharya Award: Recognising India’s Coaches
Three coaches will receive the Dronacharya Award this year, recognising their contribution to training and developing India’s athletes:
- Parveer Singh — Athletics coach
- Chhote Lal Yadav — Boxing coach
- Neha Nandkumar Chavan — Shooting coach
Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar: Honouring Institutional Contribution
The Ministry also announced the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar this year. It went to the Army Paralympic Node, Pune. This award recognises corporate entities or non-governmental organisations that play a visible role in promoting and developing sports across the country.
Understanding the National Sports Awards
India’s National Sports Awards recognise excellence in sports every year, spanning several distinct categories. The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award represents the country’s highest sporting honour, reserved for truly outstanding performances sustained over four years.
The Arjuna Award, meanwhile, recognises good performance over the same four-year window. However, it also considers leadership qualities, sportsmanship, and discipline, not just raw results. This broader criteria explains why this year’s list spans such a wide range of sports, from mainstream disciplines like hockey and boxing to less-covered fields like kabaddi and para-shooting.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports announced the awards on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.
No athlete received the Khel Ratna Award this year. The Ministry did not name any recipient for India’s highest sporting honour in this year’s announcement.
Decathlete Tejaswin Shankar led the list of 17 Arjuna Award winners, having created history with a bronze medal in the decathlon at the Commonwealth Games.
Vidit Santosh Gujrathi and Divya Deshmukh both received the Arjuna Award. Divya specifically earned recognition for winning the FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025, defeating Koneru Humpy in an all-Indian final.
Veteran footballer Isaiah Arumainayagam received the Arjuna Award (Lifetime), recognising his contribution to Indian football, including his role in India’s gold-medal-winning squad at the 1962 Asian Games.
Justice (Retd.) Arun Kumar Mishra, a former Judge of the Supreme Court of India, chaired the Selection Committee that recommended this year’s award recipients.
Three coaches received the Dronacharya Award: Parveer Singh (Athletics), Chhote Lal Yadav (Boxing), and Neha Nandkumar Chavan (Shooting).
It is an award given to corporate entities or non-governmental organisations that visibly contribute to sports promotion. This year, the Army Paralympic Node, Pune received the honour.
The Khel Ratna recognises spectacular, outstanding sporting performance over four years and represents India’s highest sporting honour. The Arjuna Award recognises good performance over the same period, alongside leadership, sportsmanship, and discipline, and ranks as the second-highest sporting honour.
Yes. Lalremsiami Hmarzote and Rajkumar Pal both received the Arjuna Award for their contributions to Indian hockey.
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