National Sports Awards 2025 Announced: Complete Winners List

National Sports Awards 2025 were announced by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on 18 August 2026, recognising sportspersons, coaches and organisations for their outstanding contribution to Indian sports. A total of 17 sportspersons received the Arjuna Award 2025, while 1 sportsperson was selected for the Arjuna Award (Lifetime). The awards also include Dronacharya Awards in Regular and Lifetime categories and the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2025. As per the provided reference, no sportsperson was selected for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2025.

The National Sports Awards are among India’s major sporting honours and are important for competitive exams such as SSC, Banking, Railways, UPSC, Defence and other government examinations. This article covers the National Sports Awards 2025 winners list, Arjuna Award winners, Dronacharya Award winners, Khel Ratna status and important exam-oriented facts.

National Sports Awards 2025: Exam-Oriented MCQs

Arjuna Awards 2025: Complete Winners List

The Arjuna Award is presented to sportspersons for outstanding performance in sports and games. In 2025, a total of 17 sportspersons were selected for the Arjuna Award.

S. No.	Sportsperson	Discipline
1	Tejaswin Shankar	Athletics
2	Muhammed Ajmal V	Athletics
3	Priyanka Goswami	Athletics
4	Treesa Jolly	Badminton
5	Pullela Gayatri Gopichand	Badminton
6	Narender	Boxing
7	Vidit Santosh Gujarathi	Chess
8	Divya Jitendra Deshmukh	Chess
9	Dhanush Srikanth	Deaf Shooting
10	Lalremsiami	Hockey
11	Rajkumar Pal	Hockey
12	Surjeet	Kabaddi
13	Pooja	Kabaddi
14	Rudransh Khandelwal	Para-Shooting
15	Ekta Bhyan	Para-Athletics
16	Arvind Singh	Rowing
17	Akhil Sheoran	Shooting

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Key Arjuna Award Winners to Remember

Some of the names particularly important from an exam perspective are:

• Divya Jitendra Deshmukh – Chess
• Vidit Santosh Gujarathi – Chess
• Tejaswin Shankar – Athletics
• Gayatri Gopichand – Badminton
• Treesa Jolly – Badminton
• Narender – Boxing
• Dhanush Srikanth – Deaf Shooting

Arjuna Award (Lifetime) 2025

The Arjuna Award (Lifetime) category recognises sportspersons for their contribution to sports and achievements during their sporting career.

S. No.	Sportsperson	Discipline
1	I. Arumainayagam	Football

Total: 1 sportsperson

I. Arumainayagam was part of India’s gold-winning football team at the 1962 Asian Games and has been recognised for his contribution to Indian football.

Dronacharya Award 2025: Winners List

The Dronacharya Award recognises coaches who have played an important role in nurturing and developing sportspersons and helping them achieve success.

Dronacharya Award – Regular Category 2025

S. No.	Coach	Discipline
1	Parveer Singh	Athletics
2	Chhote Lal Yadav	Boxing
3	Neha Nandkumar Chavan	Shooting

Total: 3 coaches

Dronacharya Award – Lifetime Category 2025

S. No.	Coach	Discipline
1	Dharmendra Singh Yadav	Boxing
2	Virender Kumar	Wrestling

Total: 2 coaches

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Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2025

The Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2025 has been awarded to:

Army Paralympic Node, Pune

The award recognises organisations, corporate entities, public or private bodies and NGOs for their contribution towards the promotion and development of sports.

Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2025

According to the provided reference, no sportsperson was selected for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2025.

The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award is regarded as India’s highest sporting honour and recognises exceptional achievements by sportspersons in international competitions.

Therefore, this is an important one-line fact for competitive exams:

Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2025 – No sportsperson selected.

National Sports Awards 2025: Category-wise Summary

Award Category	Number of Awardees
Arjuna Award	17
Arjuna Award – Lifetime	1
Dronacharya Award – Regular	3
Dronacharya Award – Lifetime	2
Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar	1
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna	0

National Sports Awards 2025: Important Facts

• National Sports Awards 2025 were announced on 18 August 2026.
• A total of 17 sportspersons were selected for the Arjuna Award.
• Divya Jitendra Deshmukh received the Arjuna Award for Chess.
• Vidit Santosh Gujarathi received the Arjuna Award for Chess.
• Tejaswin Shankar received the Arjuna Award for Athletics.
• Treesa Jolly and Pullela Gayatri Gopichand were recognised in Badminton.
• Dhanush Srikanth received the Arjuna Award in Deaf Shooting.
• I. Arumainayagam received the Arjuna Award (Lifetime) for Football.
• Parveer Singh received the Dronacharya Award in the Regular category for Athletics.
• Chhote Lal Yadav received the Dronacharya Award in the Regular category for Boxing.
• Neha Nandkumar Chavan received the Dronacharya Award in the Regular category for Shooting.
• Dharmendra Singh Yadav received the Dronacharya Award in the Lifetime category for Boxing.
• Virender Kumar received the Dronacharya Award in the Lifetime category for Wrestling.
• Army Paralympic Node, Pune won the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2025.
• No sportsperson was selected for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2025, as per the provided reference.
• The Selection Committee was headed by Justice (Retired) Arun Kumar Mishra.
• The Arjuna Award winners represented disciplines including Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Chess, Deaf Shooting, Hockey, Kabaddi, Para-Shooting, Para-Athletics, Rowing and Shooting.

FAQs on National Sports Awards 2025

1. When were the National Sports Awards 2025 announced?

The National Sports Awards 2025 were announced on 18 August 2026, recognising outstanding achievements of sportspersons, coaches and organisations.

2. How many sportspersons received the Arjuna Award 2025?

A total of 17 sportspersons were selected for the Arjuna Award 2025 for their outstanding performances across different sporting disciplines.

3. Who received the Arjuna Award (Lifetime) 2025?

I. Arumainayagam was selected for the Arjuna Award (Lifetime) 2025 in Football for his contribution to Indian football.

4. Who received the Dronacharya Award 2025?

The Dronacharya Award 2025 was given to five coaches. Parveer Singh, Chhote Lal Yadav and Neha Nandkumar Chavan received the Regular Award, while Dharmendra Singh Yadav and Virender Kumar received the Lifetime Award.

5. Who won the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2025?

The Army Paralympic Node, Pune received the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2025 for its contribution to the promotion and development of sports.

6. Was anyone selected for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2025?

No. According to the provided reference, no sportsperson was selected for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2025, India’s highest sporting honour.