National Sports Awards 2025 Announced

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PRERNA FOR IAS

         Mehnat Aapki, Guidance Humari

         Roz ki Prelims Practice — Experts ke Saath

National Sports Awards 2025 Announced

Current Context

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the National Sports Awards 2025 on 18 August 2026. Based on the recommendations of a Selection Committee chaired by former Supreme Court judge Justice (Retd.) Arun Kumar Mishra, the Government selected sportspersons, coaches and institutions for different national honours. Significantly, no sportsperson was selected for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award for 2025.

Major Awardees

A total of 17 sportspersons were selected for the Arjuna Award, including Tejaswin Shankar, Priyanka Goswami, Treesa Jolly, Gayatri Gopichand, Vidit Santosh Gujarathi, Divya Deshmukh, Rajkumar Pal, Ekta Bhyan and Akhil Sheoran. The list covers athletics, badminton, boxing, chess, hockey, kabaddi, shooting, para-sports and rowing. The Arjuna Award recognises consistent international performance during the preceding four years along with leadership, sportsmanship and discipline.

Background

The Arjuna Award was instituted in 1961, while the Dronacharya Award began in 1985 to recognise outstanding coaches. The Khel Ratna was introduced in 1991–92 and renamed the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in 2021. Applications for the 2025 awards were invited through an online self-application system.

India’s Approach and Significance

National Sports Awards form part of India’s broader effort to build a stronger sporting culture. Recognition is extended not only to athletes but also to coaches and institutions, thereby encouraging the wider sporting ecosystem. Awards can motivate young athletes and strengthen India’s international sporting profile.

Current Status

The winners for the 2025 cycle have now been officially announced. The absence of a Khel Ratna awardee shows that the highest honour is not compulsory every year and depends on whether candidates meet the required standard of outstanding performance.

Analytical Questions

1. Does giving national sports awards actually improve India’s sporting performance?

Awards can motivate athletes and give public recognition to years of hard work. They also make sport more visible to young people. But medals cannot come from awards alone. India also needs good coaching, sports science, local facilities, financial support and fair selection systems from the grassroots level.

2. What does the absence of a Khel Ratna awardee in 2025 indicate about the award system?

It suggests that the highest award is based on performance standards, not on the need to select someone every year. This can protect the value of the award. At the same time, the selection process must remain transparent so that athletes and the public understand why no candidate met the required level.

3. Why is it important to recognise coaches and institutions along with athletes?

Athletes rarely succeed alone. Coaches provide technical guidance, institutions create facilities and support systems, and administrators help organise training and competition. Recognising all of them encourages a complete sporting ecosystem. It also sends a message that sporting success is the result of teamwork, not only individual talent.

4. How can the government make National Sports Awards more credible and fair?

The criteria should be clear, measurable and publicly available. International performance, consistency, sportsmanship and conduct should be considered in a balanced way. Selection committees should remain independent and avoid regional or federation pressure. Where possible, reasons for major selections and non-selections should also be explained.

5. How do sports awards contribute to India’s soft power and national development?

Successful athletes become visible representatives of India abroad. Their achievements improve the country’s image and create national pride. Sports also promote fitness, discipline and social unity. However, soft power becomes stronger when awards are backed by sustained international performance, better sports infrastructure and wider public participation in games.