The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the National Sports Awards 2025 on August 18, 2026, naming 17 sportspersons for the Arjuna Award. The list includes chess stars Divya Deshmukh and Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, high jumper Tejaswin Shankar, badminton players Pullela Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly, hockey players Lalremsiami and Rajkumar Pal, and athletes from athletics, boxing, kabaddi, shooting, para-sports and rowing.
Footballer I Arumainayagam has been selected for the Arjuna Award (Lifetime), while five coaches will receive Dronacharya Awards and the Army Paralympic Node, Pune, will receive the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar. However, no sportsperson has been selected for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, India’s highest sporting honour, making this only the third time the award has been left vacant since its institution in 1991-92, after 2008 and 2014.
The awards are based on recommendations of a selection committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice (Retd.) Arun Kumar Mishra.
17 Athletes Earn Arjuna
The 17 Arjuna Awardees represent a broad cross-section of Indian sport. The list includes Tejaswin Shankar, Muhammed Ajmal V, Priyanka Goswami, Treesa Jolly, Pullela Gayatri Gopichand, Narender, Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, Divya Jitendra Deshmukh, Dhanush Srikanth, Lalremsiami, Rajkumar Pal, Surjeet, Pooja, Rudransh Khandelwal, Ekta Bhyan, Arvind Singh and Akhil Sheoran.
The awards recognise sporting performance over the previous four years, along with qualities including leadership, sportsmanship and discipline. The diversity of this year’s list is notable, with representation from mainstream Olympic sports as well as deaf shooting and para-sports.
Divya Deshmukh Among Standouts
Divya Deshmukh’s selection comes after a breakthrough period in her young chess career. She became the first Indian woman to win the Women’s World Cup, adding another major milestone to a rapid rise in international chess. Her inclusion places one of India’s emerging chess stars alongside established Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi on the Arjuna list.
Tejaswin Shankar is another prominent name among the recipients. The high jumper has represented India at major international competitions and has become one of the country’s recognised track-and-field athletes. Badminton players Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly, meanwhile, are being recognised for their performances in women’s doubles.
Hockey also features prominently, with Lalremsiami and Rajkumar Pal among the awardees. Their inclusion reflects the continued recognition of Indian hockey players across both the women’s and men’s teams.
Recognition Across Sports
The remaining awardees further broaden the list. Athletics is represented by Muhammed Ajmal V and Priyanka Goswami, while boxing honours go to Narender. Dhanush Srikanth has been recognised in deaf shooting, while Surjeet and Pooja represent kabaddi.
Para-sport is represented by Rudransh Khandelwal and Ekta Bhyan. Rower Arvind Singh and shooter Akhil Sheoran complete the list.
The spread is significant because national sporting recognition can often be dominated by a handful of highly visible disciplines. This year’s Arjuna selections instead bring athletes from less-publicised sporting categories into the national conversation.
Other Awards Announced
The National Sports Awards extend beyond the 17 Arjuna recipients. Former footballer and coach I Arumainayagam will receive the Arjuna Award (Lifetime) for his contribution to sport.
Five coaches have also been selected for Dronacharya Awards. Parveer Singh in athletics, Chhote Lal Yadav in boxing and Neha Nandkumar Chavan in shooting will receive the regular honour, while Dharmendra Singh Yadav in boxing and Virender Kumar in wrestling will receive the lifetime award.
The Army Paralympic Node, Pune, has been selected for the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar for its role in promoting and developing sports.
Khel Ratna Remains Vacant
The biggest talking point, however, is the absence of a Khel Ratna recipient. No sportsperson has been selected for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna for the 2025 awards cycle.
The Khel Ratna is India’s highest sporting honour and was instituted in 1991-92. It was previously left vacant in 2008 and 2014, making this only the third such instance in its history.
The decision stands out because the same awards cycle has recognised 17 athletes through the Arjuna Award and several coaches and institutions through other categories. It also highlights the distinction between the criteria for the Arjuna Award, which recognises sustained performance and sporting qualities, and the higher threshold associated with the country’s top sporting honour.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The National Sports Awards are ultimately about recognising the people who contribute to India’s sporting culture, whether they compete under the brightest spotlight or represent disciplines that receive less public attention. This year’s Arjuna list is encouraging in that sense, bringing together athletes from chess and athletics alongside hockey, kabaddi, shooting, rowing and para-sports.
The absence of a Khel Ratna should not overshadow those achievements. If anything, it offers an opportunity to reflect on what the country’s highest sporting honour should represent and how sporting excellence across different disciplines can be recognised fairly and meaningfully. What should India’s highest sporting honour ultimately seek to reward?
