National Sports Awards 2025: 17 Athletes Win Arjuna Award, Coaches and Army Paralympic Node Also Honoured

National Sports Awards 2025: 17 Athletes Win Arjuna Award, Coaches and Army Paralympic Node Also Honoured

 Introduction

• National Recognition: The National Sports Awards 2025 honour the sportspersons who have excelled and made noteworthy contributions in various sports. 17 sportspersons have been selected for Arjuna Award and I. Arumainayagam has been selected for Arjuna Award (Life Time).
• Dronacharya Award: Five coaches have been named for the Dronacharya Award in regular and lifetime categories. This explains the importance of coaches in training players, developing their skills and helping them to succeed in sports.
• Institutional Honour: For its distinct role in promoting sports and contributing to the development of sports at the grass root level, the Army Paralympic Node, Pune has been conferred the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar.

Arjuna Award: 17 Sportspersons Honoured

• Purpose of Award: The Arjuna Award was instituted in the year 1961 to honour the sportspersons for their outstanding performance at the international level. The award comprises a statuette, a certificate, a ceremonial dress and a cash prize of ₹15 lakh.
• Athletics Winners: Tejaswin Shankar, V. Muhammed Ajmal and Priyanka Goswami have been selected for their performance in the area of athletics. Their selections are based on their performances in track and field events and contributions to Indian athletics.
• Badminton winners: Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand felicitated for their performances in badminton. Their achievements have also contributed to India’s mounting success and presence in international badminton.
• Boxing Winner: Narender nominated for Arjuna Award for his achievements in boxing . His selection is a recognition of his performances and contribution to India’s success in the sport.
• Chess Winners: Divya Deshmukh and Vidit Gujrathi were felicitated for their achievements in the game of Chess. Divya Deshmukh has been specially highlighted after winning the FIDE Women’s World Cup as the first Indian woman to do so while Vidit Gujrathi is one of the leading chess grandmasters of India.
• Hockey Winners: Lalremsiami, Rajkumar Pal Selected For Contribution To Indian Hockey Their international performances have given them recognition among the best Indian hockey players.
• Kabaddi Winners: Surjeet and Pooja have been awarded for their achievements in the area of kabaddi sport. Kabaddi Winners: Their selection also brings representation to one of India’s most popular traditional sports.
• Para-athletics Winner: Ekta Bhyan has been nominated for Arjuna Award, for her achievements in Para athletics. Her recognition also reflects the increasing importance and success of para-sports in India.
• Winner in Para-Shooting: Rudransh Khandelwal has been honoured for his performances in para-shooting. His selection is a sign of the growing strength of India in shooting events for athletes with disabilities.
• Rowing Winner: Arvind Singh has earned a place with achievements in rowing. The award lauds his performances and contribution to India’s efforts in international rowing competitions.
• Shooting Winner: Akhil Sheoran, winner of the Arjuna Award for his achievements in shooting. He has been selected in recognition of his performances and contribution to India’s competitive shooting program.
• Deaf Shooting Winner: Dhanush Srikanth has been acknowledged for his achievements in deaf shooting. His inclusion is a reflection of the success of athletes competing in specialised sporting categories .
• Sporting Diversity: The 17 awardees represent a range of Olympic, Paralympic and other sporting disciplines. Their selection is a reflection of the growing diversity in Indian sports, with athletes from mainstream sports as well as para sports and deaf sports getting recognition.

Arjuna Award (Lifetime): I. Arumainayagam

• Lifetime Honour: Former Indian footballer I Arumainayagam has been chosen for the Arjuna Award (Lifetime). The award was instituted in 2024 to honour retired sportspersons who continue to contribute toward promotion and development of sports.
• Asian Gold: Arumainayagam was a member of the historic Indian football team that won the gold medal at the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta. That was one of the biggest achievements in Indian football then.
• International Career: He has played 18 matches for the Indian team and has scored 3 international goals. This made him an important player for the Indian football team during his playing days.
• Asian Cup: He was also a member of the Indian squad in the 1964 AFC Asian Cup. India finished second in the tournament, adding another big feather to his international football career.

Dronacharya Awards for Coaches

• Award Purpose: Dronacharya Award is awarded to the coaches who have made significant contribution in training of players and producing successful sportsperson. It acknowledges the effort and guidance of coaches.
• Athletics coach: Parveer Singh has been given the regular Dronacharya Award in athletics. The award acknowledges his work in helping athletes to improve their performance through coaching.
• Boxing coach: Chhote Lal Yadav selected for regular Dronacharya award in boxing His award is a recognition of his commitment to the development of talented players and the training of boxers.
• Shooting coach: Neha Nandkumar Chavan has been awarded the regular Dronacharya Award for shooting. The award recognises her work training athletes and developing their athletic ability.
• Boxing Lifetime: Dronacharya Lifetime award in boxing sport conferred on Dharmendra Singh Yadav. The award recognises his long-standing record as a coach and his commitment to the development of boxers.
• Wrestling Lifetime: Virender Kumar has been awarded the Dronacharya Lifetime Award in wrestling. The honour is in recognition of his long term contribution to coaching and his work in developing Indian wrestlers.
• Coaching Role: India’s success in sports is not only dependent on athletes. Coaches also have a big part to play in teaching skills, providing the right guidance, preparing players for competitions and supporting them throughout their careers.

Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar

• Award Winner: Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar has been awarded to Army Paralympic Node, Pune . It has been lauded for its positive contribution in promoting sports and nurturing its growth at the grassroots level.
• Para-Sports Support: The Army Paralympic Node creates appropriate opportunities for athletes with disabilities, so the acknowledgement of para-sports is especially significant. Such support can allow more athletes to take part in sports and hone their skills.
• Grassroots Development: The award also points to the importance of organisations working at the grassroots level of sports. “For building a strong sporting system we need to identify young talents, train them, provide them with facilities and give them appropriate opportunities.

Significance of the Awards

• Wide representation: The National Sports Awards are a testament to the growing canvas of India’s sporting field. These awards have given a platform to chess, badminton, athletics, hockey, kabaddi, shooting, rowing and para sports.
• New Champions: The emergence of the likes of Divya Deshmukh and Dhanush Srikanth is indicative of the rise of a new breed of Indian champions. Their achievements are also a testimony that Indian athletes are making their mark in various kinds of sports and events.
• Support System: The awards also celebrate coaches and organisations and not just athletes. It shows that sports achievement needs a strong support system of good coaching, proper infrastructure and experienced trainers and guidance and development at the grass root level.
• International Profile: By honouring athletes, coaches and organisations together, the awards encourage everyone involved in sports to continue working towards better results. Such recognition can also help India strengthen its position and reputation in international sports.

Important Questions

1. How many sportspersons have been selected for the Arjuna Award?
2. Who has received the Arjuna Award (Lifetime) in the recent National Sports Awards?
3. Who are the coaches who have won the Dronacharya Award under the regular and lifetime categories?
4. Who among the following organization has been awarded the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar?
5. How important are the latest National Sports Awards when Indian sports?

Conclusion

The National Sports Awards 2025 celebrate recent sporting excellence as well as long-term contribution to Indian sports . The 17 Arjuna Awardees, veteran footballer I Arumainayagam, five Dronacharya Award-winning coaches and the Army Paralympic Node together reflect different facets of India’s sporting journey. The awards should spur the athletes, coaches and institutions to keep raising India’s profile higher and higher on the world stage of sport.