National Sports Awards 2025: Notable Athletes and Coaches Nominated

Recognition of Sporting Excellence

On August 18, the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports unveiled the nominees for the National Sports Awards 2025. Among the distinguished athletes nominated for the prestigious Arjuna Awards are Tejaswin Shankar, chess prodigies Vidit Gujarathi and Divya Deshmukh, along with badminton players Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly.

These awards are presented annually to honor exceptional achievements in sports. The selection process is guided by a committee led by Justice (Retd.) Arun Kumar Mishra, a former Supreme Court judge, who has recommended various sportspersons, coaches, and organizations for recognition, as detailed in a ministry press release.

The Arjuna Award acknowledges athletes for their remarkable performance over the past four years, highlighting their leadership, sportsmanship, and discipline.

The list of athletes receiving the award includes Tejaswin Shankar (athletics), Muhammad Ajmal Variyathodi (athletics), Priyanka Goswami (athletics), Treesa Jolly (badminton), Gayatri Gopichand (badminton), Narender (boxing), Vidit Santosh Gujarathi (chess), Divya Jitendra Deshmukh (chess), Dhanush Srikanth (deaf shooting), Lalremsiami (hockey), Rajkumar Pal (hockey), Surjeet (kabaddi), Pooja (kabaddi), Rudransh Khandelwal (para-shooting), Ekta Bhyan (para-shooting), Arvind Singh (rowing), and Akhil Sheoran (shooting).

The Arjuna Awards (Lifetime) will honor athletes who have made significant contributions to sports and continue to promote the field post-retirement.

Former Indian footballer and coach Arumainayagam will be recognized with this lifetime achievement award.

The Dronacharya Award, which celebrates outstanding coaches, will be awarded to those who have consistently enabled athletes to excel on international platforms. Recipients in the regular category include Parveer Singh (athletics), Chhote Lal Yadav (boxing), and Neha Nandkumar Chavan (shooting), while Dharmendra Singh Yadav (boxing) and Virender Kumar (wrestling) will receive lifetime honors.

Additionally, the 'Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar' will be awarded to organizations, both public and private, as well as NGOs that have significantly contributed to sports promotion and development. The Army Paralympic Node in Pune is set to receive this award.

Applications for these awards were accepted online, allowing sportspersons, coaches, and organizations to self-nominate through a dedicated portal. This year saw a substantial number of applications, which were evaluated by the selection committee led by Justice (Retd.) Mishra, comprising esteemed sportspersons, sports journalists, and administrators.