India has honoured some of its top sporting talent with the National Sports Awards 2025, recognising athletes, coaches and organisations for their achievements and contributions to Indian sport. The awards were announced by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on 18 August 2026. A total of 17 sportspersons have been selected for the Arjuna Award this year.
What are the National Sports Awards?
The National Sports Awards are India’s major national honours for sporting excellence. They recognise outstanding athletes, coaches and organisations that have helped raise the standard and promote the development of sports in the country.
Awards that come under the National Sports Awards
The National Sports Awards include several prestigious honours given every year to recognise excellence in sports:
- Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award – Highest sporting honour in India, given for the most outstanding performance at the international level
- Arjuna Award – For consistent outstanding performance over the last four years along with leadership and sportsmanship
- Dronacharya Award – For coaches who have produced medal-winning athletes at international events
- Dhyan Chand Award (Lifetime Achievement) – For lifetime contribution to sports development and promotion
- Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar – For organisations that promote and develop sports in India
National Sports Awards 2025: 17 sportspersons named for the Arjuna Award
The 2025 Arjuna Award list features athletes from 11 sporting disciplines, including athletics, badminton, boxing, chess, hockey, kabaddi, para-sports, rowing and shooting.
| Sportsperson | Sport |
|---|---|
| Tejaswin Shankar | Athletics |
| Muhammed Ajmal V | Athletics |
| Priyanka Goswami | Athletics |
| Treesa Jolly | Badminton |
| Pullela Gayatri Gopichand | Badminton |
| Narender | Boxing |
| Vidit Santosh Gujrathi | Chess |
| Divya Jitendra Deshmukh | Chess |
| Dhanush Srikanth | Deaf shooting |
| Lalremsiami | Hockey |
| Rajkumar Pal | Hockey |
| Surjeet | Kabaddi |
| Pooja | Kabaddi |
| Rudransh Khandelwal | Para-shooting |
| Ekta Bhyan | Para-athletics |
| Arvind Singh | Rowing |
| Akhil Sheoran | Shooting |
A special honour for I Arumainayagam – National Sports Awards 2025
Footballer I Arumainayagam has been selected for the Arjuna Award (Lifetime) for his contribution to sport. Unlike the regular Arjuna Award, the lifetime award recognises sportspersons who have contributed through their sporting careers and continued to support the promotion of sport after retiring from active competition.
Coaches recognised with the Dronacharya Award
The awards also honour the people who help athletes reach their potential. Five coaches have been selected for the Dronacharya Award.
Regular category
- Parveer Singh, Athletics
- Chhote Lal Yadav, Boxing
- Neha Nandkumar Chavan, Shooting
Lifetime category
- Dharmendra Singh Yadav, Boxing
- Virender Kumar, Wrestling
The Dronacharya Award recognises coaches who have consistently done outstanding work and helped sportspersons perform at international events.
Army Paralympic Node receives sports promotion award
The Army Paralympic Node, Pune, has been selected for the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar 2025. This award recognises organisations and entities that make a visible contribution to promoting and developing sports.
FAQs about the National Sports Awards 2025
1. How many athletes received the Arjuna Award in 2025?
Seventeen sportspersons were selected for the Arjuna Award.
2. Who received the Arjuna Award (Lifetime) in 2025?
Footballer I Arumainayagam was selected for the Arjuna Award (Lifetime).
3. What does the Arjuna Award recognise?
It recognises outstanding sporting performance over the previous four years, along with leadership, sportsmanship and discipline.
4. Who won the Dronacharya Award in 2025?
Parveer Singh, Chhote Lal Yadav and Neha Nandkumar Chavan received it in the regular category, while Dharmendra Singh Yadav and Virender Kumar received it in the lifetime category.
5. Which organisation received the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar 2025?
The Army Paralympic Node, Pune, was selected for the award.
6. Which chess players received the Arjuna Award?
Vidit Santosh Gujrathi and Divya Jitendra Deshmukh were among the 17 awardees.
7. Which badminton players received the Arjuna Award?
Treesa Jolly and Pullela Gayatri Gopichand were selected.
8. Is the Arjuna Award only for Olympic sports?
No. The award covers a range of recognised sporting disciplines, including sports beyond the Olympic programme. The 2025 list, for example, includes deaf shooting and para-sports.
Fun fact: The Arjuna Award is named after Arjuna, the skilled archer from the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata.
Also read about: National Sports Awards 2024: Full List of Winners
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