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India honors its top athletes with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, but several other national sports awards recognize coaches, institutions, lifetime contributors, and adventurous pioneers.
Here is a comprehensive breakdown of India's major sports awards beyond the Khel Ratna Award.
1. Arjuna Award
About the Award: Introduced in 1961 by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Arjuna Award is India's second-highest national sports honor. It recognizes outstanding performance over four years along with qualities like leadership, sportsmanship, and discipline.
Allowances & Benefits: Arjuna Award Prize Money: Rs 15 lakh cash prize.
A bronze statuette of Arjuna, a formal scroll, ceremonial dress, and lifetime free travel in first-class AC coaches on Indian Railways.
Who Gives It to Whom: Presented annually by the President of India to active, elite athletes across international and national sports disciplines.
Arjuna Award Eligibility Criteria: Consistent performance at the international level (Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championships) over the preceding 4 years.
Qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, and a clean disciplinary record.
First Arjuna Award Winner:
In 1961, 20 sportspersons received the inaugural award. Notable first-year recipients include Gurbachan Singh Randhawa (Athletics), PK Banerjee (Football), Nandu Natekar (Badminton), and Saleem Durani (Cricket).
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Arjuna Award 2025 Winners List |
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Awardee |
Sport |
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Tejaswin Shankar |
Athletics |
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Muhammed Ajmal V |
Athletics |
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Priyanka Goswami |
Athletics |
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Treesa Jolly |
Badminton |
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Pullela Gayatri Gopichand |
Badminton |
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Narender |
Boxing |
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Vidit Santosh Gujrathi |
Chess |
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Divya Jitendra Deshmukh |
Chess |
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Dhanush Srikanth |
Deaf Shooting |
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Lalremsiami |
Hockey |
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Rajkumar Pal |
Hockey |
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Surjeet |
Kabaddi |
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Pooja |
Kabaddi |
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Rudransh Khandelwal |
Para Shooting |
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Ekta Bhyan |
Para Athletics |
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Arvind Singh |
Rowing |
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Akhil Sheoran |
Shooting |
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I. Arumainayagam |
Football – Lifetime Category |
2. Dronacharya Award for Coaches
About the Award: Launched in 1985, this award honors coaches who produce medalists at international events. It is named after Dronacharya, the legendary guru from the Mahabharata.
Allowances & Benefits: Regular Category: Rs 10 lakh cash prize.
Lifetime Category: Rs 15 lakh cash prize.
A bronze statuette of Guru Dronacharya, a certificate, and ceremonial dress.
Who Gives It to Whom: Presented by the President of India to outstanding coaches across various sports.
Eligibility Criteria: Coaches who have consistently trained athletes or teams over 4 years to achieve top results in international competitions.
The Lifetime category recognizes coaches who have contributed to sports development for 20 years or more.
Recent Recipients (2025 List): Regular Category: Parveer Singh (Athletics), Chhote Lal Yadav (Boxing), Neha Nandkumar Chavan (Shooting).
Lifetime Category: Dharmendra Singh Yadav (Boxing), Virender Kumar (Wrestling).
Also Read: Param Vir Chakra: India's Highest Military Award Guide
3. Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement
About the Award: Instituted in 2002, this award honors veteran sports figures who contributed to sports during their active career and continue to promote sports after retirement.
Allowances & Benefits: Rs 10 lakh cash prize, a statuette of Major Dhyan Chand, a ceremonial dress, and a certificate.
Who Gives It to Whom: Presented by the President of India to retired sportspersons who remain dedicated to sports promotion.
Eligibility Criteria: Outstanding performance during an active career and ongoing contributions to sports development post-retirement.
4. Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award
About the Award: Established in 1994 (renamed in 2002 after Tenzing Norgay, one of the first two individuals to reach the summit of Mount Everest), this is the highest national recognition for outstanding achievements in land, air, and water adventure sports.
Allowances & Benefits: Rs 15 lakh cash prize, a bronze statue, and a certificate.
Who Gives It to Whom: Presented by the President of India to young people and veterans in adventure fields.
Eligibility Criteria: Exceptional endurance, risk management, and achievement in land, sea, or air adventure sports over the preceding 3 years (or lifetime efforts).
Also Read: Bharat Ratna Winners List, Eligibility, Price & Benefits Guide
5. Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar
About the Award: Introduced in 2009, this award recognizes the role of corporate entities, sports control boards, NGOs, and sports academies in promoting and developing sports in India.
Allowances & Benefits: A trophy and a citation (no cash prize).
Who Gives It to Whom: Presented by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to organizations and institutions.
Eligibility Criteria: Entities working across four categories: identification and nurturing of talent, encouragement to sports through CSR, employment of sportspersons, and sports for development.
2025 Recipient: Army Paralympic Node, Pune (Recognized for outstanding work in developing para-sports and nurturing adaptive athletes).
6. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy
About the Award: Instituted in 1956–57, the MAKA Trophy is the oldest national sports award in India, named after India's first Education Minister, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
Allowances & Benefits: Overall Winner: Running Trophy and Rs 5 lakh cash prize.
1st Runner-up: Rs 7.5 lakh.
2nd Runner-up: Rs 4.5 lakh.
Who Gives It to Whom: Presented by the President of India to the top-performing university in inter-university and national/international tournaments.
Eligibility Criteria: Awarded based on points scored by a university's student-athletes in national and international events over the academic year.
Recognizing every pillar of the sporting ecosystem - from grassroots coaches to major universities - these awards play a crucial role in building India's sports culture.
India’s sports awards celebrate every side of the sporting world, from athletes and coaches to institutions and adventure pioneers. Together, they help strengthen the country’s sporting culture.
Also Read: Grammy Awards 2026 Winners List: Where Can You Stream In India?
