The Union Sports Ministry has announced the National Sports Awards for the year 2025. 17 sportspersons will get the Arjuna Award and 3 will get the Dronacharya Award. But this time no one will be given the Major Dhyan Chand Khilratna Award. Therefore, the National Selection Committee did not recommend the names of any sportsperson. The National Sports Awards have been given since 1991-92. Including this, the Khilratna Award will not be given for the third time.
Earlier, in 2008 and 2014, the selection committee did not recommend the names of any sportsperson. Retired Supreme Court judge Arun Kumar Mishra was the chairman of the award selection committee. The committee prepared the final list of eligible sportspersons and recommended it to the Union Sports Ministry. The ministry announced the award list today after the signature of the Sports Minister. According to national media reports, the names of women’s one-day world champion Harmanpreet Kaur, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and archer Jyoti Surekha Venam were in the running for the Khilari Ratna. But the committee did not consider anyone worthy.
Arjuna Award: Tejaswin Shankar, Mohammad Ajmal and Priyanka Goswami (Athletics), Trisha Jolly and Pullela Gayatri Gopichand (Badminton), Narendra (Boxing), Bhidit Santosh Gujarati and Divya Deshmukh (Chess), Dhanush Srikanth (Deaf Shooting), Lalremsiami and Rajkumar Pal (Hockey), Surjeet and Pooja (Kabaddi), Rudransh Khandewal (Para Shooting), Ekta Bhan (Para Athletics), Arvind Singh (Rowing), Akhil Seoran (Shooting).
Arjuna (Lifelong Learning): I. Arumayanayagam (Football). Dronacharya Award: Parveer Singh (Athletics), Chotlelal Yadav (Boxing), Neha Nandakumar Chavan (Shooting).
Dronacharya (Lifelong Sadhana): Dharmendra Singh Yadav (Boxing) and Virender Kumar (Wrestling)
