New Delhi, August 18, 2026: The government has announced the recommendations for the National Sports Awards 2025, with no sportsperson selected for the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award this year.
At the same time, 17 athletes have been chosen for the Arjuna Award, while five coaches have been named for the Dronacharya honours.
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the recommendations on Tuesday. The selections were made on the advice of a committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice (Retd.) Arun Kumar Mishra.
Why There Is No Khel Ratna Winner in 2025
The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna is regarded as India’s highest sporting honour and is presented for outstanding achievements in sports.
For 2025, however, the award has been left without a recipient. This is a rare occurrence, with the last such instance reported in 2014.
The Khel Ratna comes with a medallion, citation and ₹25 lakh cash prize. The Arjuna Award carries a ₹15 lakh cash prize.
Hockey player Hardik Singh was reportedly considered for the top honour but did not make the final selection.
In the previous edition, four sportspersons received the Khel Ratna: chess champion Gukesh Dommaraju, hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh, para-athlete Praveen Kumar and Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker.
Divya Deshmukh, Tejaswin Shankar Among Arjuna Awardees
The 17-member Arjuna Award list covers a wide range of sports, including athletics, chess, boxing, hockey, badminton, shooting, kabaddi and rowing.
Among the notable selections are chess player Divya Deshmukh, athlete Tejaswin Shankar and badminton player Gayatri Gopichand.
The selected sportspersons are:
- Tejaswin Shankar – Athletics
- Priyanka Goswami – Athletics
- Narender – Boxing
- Vidit Gujrathi – Chess
- Divya Deshmukh – Chess
- Dhanush Srikanth – Deaf Shooting
- Rajkumar Pal – Hockey
- Surjeet – Kabaddi
- Rudransh Khandelwal – Para-Shooting
- Ekta Bhyan – Para-Athletics
- Arvind Singh – Rowing
- Akhil Sheoran – Shooting
- Treesa Jolly – Badminton
- Gayatri Gopichand – Badminton
- Lalremsiami – Hockey
- Muhammed Ajmal – Athletics
- Pooja – Kabaddi
Football Great I. Arumainayagam Receives Lifetime Honour
Indian football veteran I. Arumainayagam has been selected for the Arjuna Award (Lifetime).
The former winger was part of India’s iconic football team that won the gold medal at the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta.
Arumainayagam made his international debut during the 1962 Asian Games and later represented India at the 1964 AFC Asian Cup, where the national team finished runners-up. He also played in the Merdeka Cup.
The lifetime Arjuna recognition honours his contribution to Indian football during his playing career as well as his continued association with the sport.
Three Coaches Named for Dronacharya Award
The government has also selected three coaches for the regular Dronacharya Award:
- Parveer Singh – Athletics
- Chhote Lal Yadav – Boxing
- Neha Nandkumar Chavan – Shooting
The Dronacharya Award (Lifetime) will go to Dharmendra Yadav and Virender Kumar.
The Dronacharya Award recognises coaches who have consistently helped athletes achieve strong performances at national and international competitions.
Ronjan Sodhi Calls for Better Talent Scouting
Former Khel Ratna winner Ronjan Sodhi has also stressed the importance of identifying sporting talent at an early age.
With India looking towards the 2036 Olympics, Sodhi believes talent scouting should begin immediately, particularly in schools. He suggested that sports federations could work with experienced athletes and coaches to identify promising youngsters at the grassroots level.
The National Sports Awards 2025 have therefore recognised achievements across several disciplines while also highlighting the broader challenge of developing India’s next generation of sporting talent.
