The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has announced the National Sports Awards 2025, recognising athletes, coaches and organisations for their outstanding contribution to Indian sports.
The awards were announced on August 18, 2026, following recommendations from a selection committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice (Retd.) Arun Kumar Mishra. The annual National Sports Awards honour sportspersons who have demonstrated excellence, dedication, discipline and significant contributions to their respective disciplines.
This year’s list includes several prominent athletes from athletics, badminton, boxing, chess, hockey, kabaddi, shooting, rowing and other sporting disciplines.
Arjuna Awards 2025 Announced
The Arjuna Award for Outstanding Performance in Sports and Games 2025 is presented to sportspersons for strong performances over the previous four years, along with qualities such as leadership, sportsmanship and discipline.
A total of 17 sportspersons have been selected for the Arjuna Awards this year.
Full List of Arjuna Awardees 2025
| Sportsperson | Discipline |
|---|---|
| Tejaswin Shankar | Athletics |
| Muhammed Ajmal V | Athletics |
| Priyanka Goswami | Athletics |
| Treesa Jolly | Badminton |
| Pullela Gayatri Gopichand | Badminton |
| Narender | Boxing |
| Vidit Santosh Gujarathi | Chess |
| Divya Tjendendra Deshmukh | Chess |
| Dhanush Srikanth | Deaf Shooting |
| Lalremsiami | Hockey |
| Rajkumar Pal | Hockey |
| Sujeet | Kabaddi |
| Pooja | Kabaddi |
| Rudransh Khandelwal | Para-Shooting |
| Ekta Bhyan | Para Athletics |
| Arvind Singh | Rowing |
| Akhil Sheoran | Shooting |
The list reflects the diversity of Indian sporting talent, with representation from both mainstream and para-sports disciplines.
Arjuna Award Lifetime Category
The government has also announced the Arjuna Award (Lifetime) for a sportsperson who has continued contributing to the promotion and development of sports after retiring from an active sporting career.
This year’s Lifetime Arjuna Award goes to:
Arumainayagam – Football
The award recognises the continuing contribution of the former sportsperson to the sporting ecosystem.
Dronacharya Awards 2025
The Dronacharya Award for Outstanding Coaches in Sports and Games 2025 honours coaches who have made exceptional and consistent contributions to the development of athletes and helped them achieve success at international competitions.
Regular Category
Three coaches have been selected in the regular category:
- Parveer Singh – Athletics
- Chhote Lal Yadav – Boxing
- Neha Nandkumar Chavan – Shooting
Lifetime Category
Two coaches have been recognised in the Dronacharya Award Lifetime Category:
- Dharmendra Singh Yadav – Boxing
- Virender Kumar – Wrestling
These awards acknowledge the important role played by coaches behind the success of India’s athletes.
Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar 2025
The government has also announced the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar 2025, an award given to organisations and entities that have played a visible role in promoting and developing sports.
This year’s award goes to:
Army Paralympic Node, Pune
The recognition highlights the organisation’s contribution to supporting and promoting sporting opportunities, particularly in the field of para-sports.
Selection Process for National Sports Awards
The Ministry said applications for the National Sports Awards were invited through an online process. Sportspersons, coaches and eligible entities were given the opportunity to apply through a dedicated online portal.
A large number of applications were received this year. These applications were examined by the selection committee headed by Justice (Retd.) Arun Kumar Mishra, along with members with experience in sports, sports journalism and sports administration.
The final recommendations were made after considering the achievements and contributions of the applicants.
National Sports Awards Celebrate India’s Sporting Talent
The National Sports Awards play an important role in recognising athletes and coaches who contribute to India’s sporting achievements. While medals and records often receive the most attention, the awards also highlight the discipline, perseverance and years of effort required to reach the highest level of competitive sport.
The 2025 award list features athletes from a wide range of disciplines, including athletics, badminton, boxing, chess, hockey, kabaddi, shooting, rowing and para-sports.
The recognition of coaches and organisations alongside athletes also underlines the wider support system required to build successful sporting careers.
Conclusion
The announcement of the National Sports Awards 2025 marks another important moment for Indian sports. From young and established athletes receiving Arjuna Awards to experienced coaches being honoured with Dronacharya Awards, the list recognises contributions made both on and away from the field.
With athletes, coaches and sporting organisations being recognised across multiple disciplines, the awards underline the growing breadth of India’s sporting talent and the importance of sustained support for excellence in sports.