Archers Left Disheartened After Missing Out on National Sports Awards

The exclusion of archers from this year's National Sports Awards has sparked disappointment and confusion among athletes. Despite notable achievements, including medals at the World Championships and Asian Games, archers like V Jyothi Surekha and Harvinder Singh were overlooked. The selection committee's decision has raised questions about the criteria used for nominations, particularly regarding the status of Compound Archery in the Olympic program. As athletes voice their concerns, the call for a review of the evaluation process grows louder. Discover the full story behind this controversy and the archers' reactions.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 26, 2025, 05:56 IST

Archers Express Disappointment Over Award Snub

This year, the absence of archers from the Arjuna awards list has left many athletes questioning what it takes to be recognized. Compound archers V Jyothi Surekha and Harvinder Singh, a gold medalist at the 2024 Paralympics, had submitted applications for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award, while Parneet Kaur sought the Arjuna award.

Ultimately, the decision came down to a choice between Harvinder and hockey player Hardik Singh. The committee, chaired by Justice (retd) Arun Kumar Mishra, could not reach a consensus and opted not to recommend any candidates for the prestigious honor. To the archers' astonishment, the final list included two kabaddi players (Surjeet Narwal and Pooja), one from polo (Padmanabh Singh), a kho-kho athlete (Nirmala Bhati), and Aarti Pal, who received the first Arjuna award for yogasana.

In light of this disappointment, Jiwanjot Singh Teja, the compound coach and Dronacharya awardee, expressed his concerns and submitted a petition to President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, urging a review of the selection criteria.

Teja noted, "Recent media reports and discussions from the Awards Committee for the 2025 session indicate that no Khel Ratna Award has been recommended this year, and no archers have been nominated for any National Sports Award. A committee member mentioned that Compound Archery is not included in the Olympic program, which influenced the decision not to recommend athletes from this discipline."

In an interview with a local media outlet, Teja criticized the committee's decision, stating, "It is surprising that athletes from kho-kho, kabaddi, polo, and yogasana have been recognized. While I support the promotion of indigenous sports, it should not come at the expense of our achievements."

He further lamented, "This marks the second consecutive year without an archer on the awards list. We were informed that a committee member objected to Jyothi and Harvinder's Khel Ratna claims due to archery being a non-Olympic event. However, it is now part of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and these archers have secured numerous medals, including at the World Championships and Asian Games. How can they overlook our accomplishments based on their criteria?"

Parneet, who has clinched gold in both junior and senior World Championships, as well as at the Asian Games and Championships, expressed her confusion over the situation. "I am still trying to understand what happened. We had the points, yet none of us made it to the award list. Our performances speak for themselves, and we believe we were deserving candidates," she stated.

Jyothi, currently ranked world No. 2 with nine World Championship medals, anticipated the snub. After being overlooked last year, she approached the Delhi High Court and received a favorable ruling that mandated the ministry to reconsider her case. Reflecting on this year's outcome, she said, "I expected not to be included in the awards list, but it is still disheartening. As athletes, we must continue to strive for medals. If we let this setback deter us, it would only be our loss."