President Murmu Honors Coaches and Athletes with Dronacharya and Arjuna Awards 2025

Recognition of Excellence in Sports

On November 13, 2025, President Droupadi Murmu awarded the Dronacharya and Arjuna Awards during a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. Among the distinguished recipients were athletics coach Parveer Singh, boxing coach Chhote Lal Yadav, and shooting coach Neha Nandkumar Chavan, all honored with the Dronacharya Award for their significant contributions to Indian sports.

The Dronacharya Awards were presented alongside other accolades, including the Arjuna Awards, Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards, and the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar.

Parveer Singh has been instrumental in coaching athletes like Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Annu Rani, who excelled at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games in 2022. Chhote Lal Yadav has trained renowned boxers such as M.C. Mary Kom and Jaismine, who have also achieved success in international competitions.

Neha Nandkumar Chavan has guided several shooters, including Elavenil Valarivan and Dhanush Srikanth, to victories at major events like the Asian Games and World Deaf Shooting Championship.

In the lifetime category, wrestling coach Virender Kumar was recognized for mentoring Olympic medalists like Sushil Kumar and Ravi Kumar, while boxing coach Dharmendra Singh Yadav was honored for his work with notable boxers.

Athletes such as Tejaswin Shankar and Priyanka Goswami received the Arjuna Award for their exceptional performances, with a total of 17 sportspersons being recognized. The ceremony also honored former footballer Arumainayagam with the Arjuna Award (Lifetime) and acknowledged the Army Paralympic Node, Pune, with the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar. These awards celebrate the dedication and achievements in the realm of sports.