President Droupadi Murmu presented the National Sports Awards 2025 at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on November 13, 2026, honouring 17 sportspersons with the Arjuna Award for their achievements across 11 sporting disciplines. The recipients included decathlete Tejaswin Shankar, chess player Divya Deshmukh and hockey player Lalremsiami.
The ceremony also recognised 84-year-old former Indian footballer Isaiah Arumainayagam with the Arjuna Award (Lifetime). Five coaches received Dronacharya Awards, while the Army Paralympic Node, Pune, was honoured with the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar for its contribution to promoting sports.
Athletes Honoured
The 17 regular Arjuna Award recipients represented athletics, badminton, boxing, chess, deaf shooting, hockey, kabaddi, para-shooting, para-athletics, rowing and shooting. Athletics had three recipients: Tejaswin Shankar, Muhammed Ajmal V and Priyanka Goswami, while badminton players Treesa Jolly and Pullela Gayatri Gopichand were also recognised.
Chess players Vidit Santosh Gujarathi and Divya Jitendra Deshmukh received the honour for their achievements in the sport. Boxer Narender, deaf shooter Dhanush Srikanth, hockey players Lalremsiami and Rajkumar Pal, and kabaddi players Surjeet and Pooja were among the other recipients.
The list also included para-shooter Rudransh Khandelwal, para-athlete Ekta Bhyan, rower Arvind Singh and shooter Akhil Sheoran. Their recognition brought together athletes from different sporting backgrounds, highlighting the breadth of India’s sporting talent across mainstream and less widely followed disciplines.
The Arjuna Award recognises consistent outstanding performance in sports over the preceding four years, alongside qualities of leadership, sportsmanship and discipline. The honour carries a cash prize of ₹15 lakh, a statuette and a certificate, recognising athletes for their commitment and achievements.
राष्ट्रपति श्रीमती द्रौपदी मुर्मु ने राष्ट्रपति भवन में आयोजित समारोह में खेल एवं साहस पुरस्कार 2025 प्रदान किए। https://t.co/mm9sZXo9kT
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) November 13, 2026
Lifetime Recognition
One of the notable recipients was Isaiah Arumainayagam, who received the Arjuna Award (Lifetime) for his contribution to Indian football. At 84, the former footballer was recognised for his achievements as a member of India’s national football team during the 1960s.
Arumainayagam was part of the Indian men’s football team that won gold at the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. He also contributed to India’s campaign at the 1964 AFC Asian Cup in Tel Aviv, Israel, where the team secured a silver medal.
The Lifetime Award recognises sportspersons for their contributions to sports during their active careers and their continued efforts to promote sporting activities after retirement. Arumainayagam’s recognition brought attention to a generation of Indian footballers whose achievements helped shape the country’s sporting history.
The Dronacharya Awards recognised five coaches for their contributions to developing sporting talent. In the regular category, athletics coach Parveer Singh, boxing coach Chhote Lal Yadav and shooting coach Neha Nandkumar Chavan received the awards for their work in nurturing athletes.
The lifetime category honoured boxing coach Dharmendra Singh Yadav and wrestling coach Virender Kumar. Meanwhile, the Army Paralympic Node, Pune, received the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar 2025 for its contribution to promoting and developing sports, including opportunities for athletes in para-sports.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Sporting recognition should extend beyond medals and records to acknowledge the dedication, sacrifices and resilience that athletes demonstrate throughout their careers. Celebrating achievements across different disciplines also reminds us that sporting excellence is not limited to cricket, hockey or other widely followed games.
The recognition of para-athletes, a deaf shooter and a veteran footballer is an opportunity to encourage greater inclusion in Indian sport. However, awards must be accompanied by sustained investment in accessible infrastructure, grassroots coaching, financial assistance and equal opportunities for athletes from smaller towns and underrepresented communities.
Coaches, institutions and families also play an important role in helping athletes achieve their potential. As India continues to pursue greater success on the international sporting stage, how can the country create a sporting environment where talent receives equal opportunities, encouragement and recognition, irrespective of background or ability?
