Sports 18 August 2026
National Sports Awards 2025 Announced; 17 Sportspersons Named for Arjuna Award
Why in the News?
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the National Sports Awards 2025 to recognise outstanding performances by sportspersons, coaches, and organisations. The awardees were chosen based on the recommendations of a Selection Committee headed by former Supreme Court Judge Justice (Retd.) Arun Kumar Mishra.
Key Features / Major Points:
Arjuna Awardees (17 Athletes):
Athletics: Tejaswin Shankar, Muhammed Ajmal V, Priyanka Goswami
Badminton: Treesa Jolly, Pullela Gayatri Gopichand
Boxing: Narender
Chess: Vidit Santosh Gujarathi, Divya Jitendra Deshmukh
Deaf Shooting: Dhanush Srikanth
Hockey: Lalremsiami, Rajkumar Pal
Kabaddi: Surjeet, Pooja
Para-Shooting: Rudransh Khandelwal
Para-Athletics: Ekta Bhyan
Rowing: Arvind Singh
Shooting: Akhil Sheoran
Arjuna Award (Lifetime): I Arumainayagam (Football)
Dronacharya Award for Outstanding Coaches:
Regular Category: Parveer Singh (Athletics), Chhote Lal Yadav (Boxing), Neha Nandkumar Chavan (Shooting)
Lifetime Category: Dharmendra Singh Yadav (Boxing), Virender Kumar (Wrestling)
Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar 2025: Awarded to Army Paralympic Node, Pune for sports promotion and development.
Static GK Facts:
National Sports Awards Framework:
Awarded By: Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India
Presentation Day: Annually presented on August 29 (National Sports Day - Birth Anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand)
Key Awards Overview:
Arjuna Award: Instituted in 1961 (for consistent performance over the preceding 4 years).
Dronacharya Award: Instituted in 1985 (for excellence in sports coaching).
One-Liner Quiz (All Competitive Exams):
Who headed the Selection Committee for the National Sports Awards 2025?
Answer: Justice (Retd.) Arun Kumar Mishra
Which entity was awarded the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar 2025?
Answer: Army Paralympic Node, Pune