The National Sports Awards in India are announced by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. It is presented to the athletes and sports persons for their achievements and notable performances in the various fields of sports. National Sports Day is also known as Rashtriya Khel Divas is celebrated on the 29th August every year to mark the birth anniversary of legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand. Dhyan Chand was born in 1905 and was part of the Indian hockey team which boxed gold in the Olympics of 1928, 1932, and, 1936.
The major awards include the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, the Arjuna award, the Dronacharya award, and the Dhyan Chand award, which are conferred to athletes every year by the honorable President of India at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on the National Sports Day. This year the Selection Committee was headed by Justice (Retd.) Mukundakam Sharma and other eminent personalities in the field of sports.
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National Sports Awards
Arjuna Awards
- Established by the Indian Government in 1961.
- Presented for the excellent performance by the sportspersons in various events.
- The award holds a cash prize of Rs. 500,000, a bronze statue of Arjuna and a scroll.
- As per the recent modification guidelines, a sportsperson must have a constant excellent performance for the previous three years at the international level to be eligible for the award, along with extraordinary qualities like leadership, sportsmanship, and a sense of discipline.
| Sportsperson | Discipline |
| Shri. Atanu Das | Archery |
| Ms. Dutee Chand | Athletics |
| Shri. Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy | Badminton |
| Shri. Chirag Chandrasekhar Reddy | Badminton |
| Shri. Vishesh Bhriguvanshi | Basket Ball |
| Subedar Manish Kaushik | Boxing |
| Ms. Lovelina Borgohain | Boxing |
| Shri. Ishant Sharma | Cricket |
| Ms. Deepti Sharma | Cricket |
| Shri. Sawant Ajay Anant | Equestrian |
| Shri. Sandesh Jhingan | Football |
| Ms. Aditi Ashok | Golf |
| Shri. Akashdeep Singh | Hockey |
| Ms. Deepika | Hockey |
| Shri. Deepak | Kabbadi |
| Shri. Kale Sarika Sudhakar | Kho Kho |
| Shri. Dattu Baban Bhokanal | Rowing |
| Ms. Manu Bhakar | Shooting |
| Shri. Saurab Chowdary | Shooting |
| Ms. Madhurika Suhas Patkar | Table Tennis |
| Shri. Dhivij Sharan | Tennis |
| Shri. Shiva Keshavan | Winter Sports |
| Ms. Divya Kakran | Wrestling |
| Shri. Rahul Aware | Wrestling |
| Shri. Suyash Narayan Jadav | Para-Swimming |
| Shri. Sandeep | Para Athletics |
| Shri. Manish Narwal | Para Shooting |
Dronacharya Award
- Instituted in 1985.
- Award is presented by the Indian Government for brilliance in sports coaching.
- The award consists of a bronze figurine of Dronacharya, a cash price of Rs. 500,000 and a scroll of honor.
Lifetime Category
| Coach | Discipline |
| Shri. Dharmendra Tiwary | Archery |
| Shri. Purushotham Rai | Athletics |
| Shri. Shiv Singh | Boxing |
| Shri. Romesh Pathania | Hockey |
| Shri. Krishna Kumar Hooda | Kabbadi |
| Shri. Vijay Balachandra Munishwar | Para Power-Lifting |
| Shri. Naresh Kumar | Tennis |
| Shri. Om Prakash Dahiya | Wrestling |
Regular Category
| Coach | Discipline |
| Shri. Jude Felix Sebastian | Hockey |
| Shri. Yogesh Malviya | Mallakhamb |
| Shri. Jaspal Rana | Shooting |
| Shri. Kuldeep Kumar Handoo | Wushu |
| Shri. Gourav Khanna | Para-Badminton |
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Dhyan Chand Award
- Named after the renowned Indian hockey player Dhyan Chand.
- Highest lifetime achievement award in sports and games in India and is presented by the Indian Government.
- Initiated in 2002, and the award bears a cash prize of Rs. 500,000, a figurine, ceremonial dress, and a scroll of honor.
| Sportsperson | Discipline |
| Shri. Kuldeep Singh Bhullar | Athletics |
| Ms. Jincy Philips | Athletics |
| Shri. Pradeep Shrikrishna Gandhe | Badminton |
| Ms. Tripti Murgunde | Badminton |
| Ms. N. Usha | Boxing |
| Shri. Lakha Singh | Boxing |
| Shri. Sukhvinder Singh Sandhu | Football |
| Shri. Ajit Singh | Hockey |
| Shri. Manpreet Singh | Kabaddi |
| Shri. J. Ranjith Kumar | Para Athletics |
| Shri. Satya Prakash Tiwari | Para-Badminton |
| Shri. Manjeet Singh | Rowing |
| Late Shri Sachin Nag | Swimming |
| Shri. Nandan P Bal | Tennis |
| Shri. Netarpal Hooda | Wrestling |
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
- Named after the former Prime Minister of India-Rajiv Gandhi.
- The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award is the highest honor given for accomplishment in sports and award was initiated in 1991-92 to offer the highest national tribute in the field of sports.
- The award was formulated to present the utmost honor for exceptional sporting performance, whether by an individual or a team in all sporting disciplines in a year.
- The term “Khel Ratna” translated in Hindi literally means “sports gem”.
- The award carries a medal, a significant cash price of Rupees 750,000, and a scroll of honor.
| Name | Discipline |
| Shri. Rohit Sharma | Cricket |
| Ms. Rani | Hockey |
| Ms. Vinesh | Wrestling |
| Ms. Manika Batra | Table Tennis |
| Shri. Mariyappan T | Para Athletics |
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Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar
- To encourage the involvement of corporates and sports development boards in the development of Sports in the country.
- It was established in 2009.
- Award is conferred to both Public and Private sector Corporate entities for their contribution in the area of sports.
| Category | Recommended Entity |
| Identification and Nurturing of Budding and Young Talent | Lakshya Institute, Army Sports Institute |
| Encouragement of Sports thorough Corporate Social Responsibility | ONGC Ltd. |
| Employment of Sports Persons and Sports welfare measures | Air Force Sports Control Board |
| Sports for Development | International Institute of Sports Management |
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Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Award
- This is given mainly to the overall top winners in the Inter-University Tournaments.
- This year the recipient is Punjab University, Chandigarh.
Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award
- This was conferred to recognize the spirit of adventure among the people of India.
| Sportsperson | Discipline |
| Ms. Anita Devi | Land Adventure |
| Col. Sarfraz Singh | Land Adventure |
| Shri. Taka Tamut | Land Adventure |
| Shri. Narender Singh | Land Adventure |
| Shri. Keval Hiran Kakka | Land Adventure |
| Shri. Satendra Singh | Water Adventure |
| Shri. Gajanand Yadava | Air Adventure |
| Late Shri Magan Bissa | Life Time Achievement |
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