New Delhi, August 18, 2026: The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports on Tuesday announced the National Sports Awards 2025, with 17 sportspersons selected for the prestigious Arjuna Award for their performances and contributions to Indian sport.
World Cup-winning chess player Divya Deshmukh, badminton star Gayatri Gopichand, Glasgow Commonwealth Games silver medallist boxer Narender, Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi, badminton player Treesa Jolly, decathlete and high jumper Tejaswin Shankar, and deaf rifle shooter Dhanush Srikanth are among those recognised.
Divya Deshmukh recently created history by becoming the first Indian woman to win the FIDE Women’s World Cup and subsequently earned the Grandmaster title. Her recognition comes after a breakthrough year in international chess.
Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly have also been rewarded for their achievements in badminton, having established themselves as one of India’s leading women’s doubles pairs.
The Sports Ministry, however, did not name any sportsperson for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award this year.
Footballer I. Arumainayagam, a member of India’s 1962 Asian Games gold-medal winning team, has been selected for the Arjuna Award for Lifetime Achievement.
The Dronacharya Award for outstanding coaches will be presented to Parveer Singh (Athletics), Chhote Lal Yadav (Boxing) and Neha Nandkumar Chavan (Shooting).
Meanwhile, the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2025 has been awarded to the Army Paralympic Node, Pune, for its contribution to sports promotion and development.
The awards recognise athletes, coaches and organisations that have made significant contributions to Indian sport.
