Sports 14 November 2026
President Murmu Presents National Sports Awards; No Khel Ratna Conferred This Year
Why in the News?
President **Droupadi Murmu** presented the **National Sports Awards** during an official ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on **November 13, 2026**. Notably, no athlete was chosen for the country's highest sporting honor, the **Khel Ratna**, this year.
Key Features / Major Points:
- Khel Ratna Omission:
- No athlete was conferred the Khel Ratna award this year; the last time the country did not have a Khel Ratna recipient was in **2014**.
- Arjuna Awards (17 Sportspersons):
- 17 athletes received the Arjuna Award, including decathlete **Tejaswin Shankar**, chess Grandmasters **Divya Deshmukh** & **Vidit Gujrathi**, boxer **Narender Berwal**, and women's doubles badminton pair **Gayatri Gopichand & Treesa Jolly**.
- **Para-sports:** Para club thrower **Ekta Bhyan** and shooter **Rudransh Khandelwal** received the honor.
- **Lifetime Achievement (Arjuna):** **I. Arumainayagam** (1962 Asian Games gold-winning football team member) was the sole winner.
- Dronacharya Awards:
- **Regular Category:** Parveer Singh, Chhote Lal Yadav (boxing), Neha Chavan.
- **Lifetime Category:** Dharmendra Yadav (boxing) and Virender Kumar (wrestling).
- Cash Prize & Dignitaries:
- The Arjuna Award carries a cash prize of **₹15 lakh**.
- Attended by Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports **Mansukh Mandaviya** and Sports Secretary **Hari Ranjan Rao**.
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Static GK Facts:
- National Sports Awards Ecosystem:
- National Sports Day: Celebrated on **August 29** (Birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand).
- Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award: Highest sports honor in India; carries a cash prize of **₹25 lakh**.
- Arjuna Award: Established in **1961**; carries a cash prize of **₹15 lakh**.
- Dronacharya Award: Instituted in **1985** for excellence in sports coaching.
One-Liner Quiz (All Competitive Exams):
Q: What is the cash prize awarded to an Arjuna Award winner?
A: ₹15 Lakh
Q: Which 1962 Asian Games gold medalist footballer received the Arjuna Award for Lifetime Achievement?
A: I. Arumainayagam
Q: On whose birth anniversary is National Sports Day celebrated every year on August 29?
A: Major Dhyan Chand
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