Synopsis

Divya Deshmukh and Tejaswin Shankar received the prestigious Arjuna Award. Shuttler Gayatri Gopichand and boxer Narender also earned nominations for the award. Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi and Treesa Jolly were among the selected athletes. Dhanush Srikanth, a young rifle shooter, was also recognized for his achievements. Footballer I Arumainayagam received the Arjuna Award for Lifetime Achievement.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on Tuesday announced the National Sports Awards 2025, recognising sportspersons, coaches and organisations for their contribution to Indian sports. A total of 17 sportspersons have been selected for the Arjuna Award, while one sportsperson will receive the Arjuna Award (Lifetime), five coaches will receive the Dronacharya Award and the Army Paralympic Node, Pune, has been selected for the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar.

The awards were decided on the recommendations of a selection committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice (Retd.) Arun Kumar Mishra. The committee included eminent sportspersons, sports journalists and sports administrators.

The National Sports Awards are presented every year to recognise excellence and contribution across sports disciplines.

The Arjuna Award is given for outstanding performance in sports over the previous four years, along with qualities of leadership, sportsmanship and discipline.

The 17 sportspersons selected for the Arjuna Award 2025 are:

The list covers a wide range of disciplines, including athletics, badminton, boxing, chess, hockey, kabaddi, para-sports, rowing and shooting.

The government has also selected I Arumainayagam for the Arjuna Award (Lifetime) in football.

The lifetime award is given to sportspersons who have made a contribution through their sporting performance and continued to contribute to the promotion of sports after retiring from active competition.

The Dronacharya Award recognises coaches who have consistently delivered outstanding and meritorious work and helped athletes excel at international events.

Three coaches have been selected for the Dronacharya Award in the regular category:

• Parveer Singh — Athletics
• Chhote Lal Yadav — Boxing
• Neha Nandkumar Chavan — Shooting

Two coaches have been selected in the lifetime category:

• Dharmendra Singh Yadav — Boxing
• Virender Kumar — Wrestling

The Army Paralympic Node, Pune has been selected for the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar 2025.

The award recognises corporate entities, both public and private, as well as NGOs that play a visible role in promoting and developing sports.

The Ministry invited applications for the awards through an online portal. Sportspersons, coaches and entities were allowed to apply themselves through the dedicated platform.

A large number of applications were received this year. The selection committee headed by Justice (Retd.) Arun Kumar Mishra evaluated the applications and made its recommendations.

The committee included eminent sportspersons, people with experience in sports journalism and sports administrators.

The National Sports Awards are aimed at recognising sporting achievement while also encouraging continued contribution to the development of sports in India.