New Delhi, August 18, 2026: The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, India’s highest sporting honour, will have no recipient for 2025, while the government has selected 17 sportspersons for the Arjuna Awards.
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the award recommendations on Tuesday following the recommendations of a selection committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice (Retd.) Arun Kumar Mishra.
The Arjuna Award recognises athletes for strong performances over the previous four years, along with qualities such as leadership, sportsmanship and discipline.
Khel Ratna Has No Recipient This Year
The absence of a Khel Ratna recipient is the most notable feature of this year’s awards. The honour, named after legendary Indian hockey player Major Dhyan Chand, is presented for exceptional achievements in sport and is considered the country’s highest sporting award.
The Khel Ratna includes a medallion, citation and a cash prize of ₹25 lakh. Arjuna Award winners receive ₹15 lakh along with the award.
According to reports, Indian hockey star Hardik Singh was considered for the Khel Ratna but did not make the final list. The last time the Khel Ratna was left without a recipient was in 2014.
In 2025, the award was presented to four athletes: chess champion Gukesh Dommaraju, hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh, para-athlete Praveen Kumar and Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker.
Divya Deshmukh, Tejaswin Shankar Among Arjuna Awardees
Several prominent athletes have been selected for the 2025 Arjuna Awards. The list includes chess player Divya Deshmukh, who won the Women’s World Cup, athlete Tejaswin Shankar, badminton player Gayatri Gopichand and several other athletes from different sporting disciplines.
Full List of Arjuna Award Winners
- Tejaswin Shankar – Athletics
- Priyanka Goswami – Athletics
- Narender – Boxing
- Vidit Gujrathi – Chess
- Divya Deshmukh – Chess
- Dhanush Srikanth – Deaf Shooting
- Rajkumar Pal – Hockey
- Surjeet – Kabaddi
- Rudransh Khandelwal – Para-Shooting
- Ekta Bhyan – Para-Athletics
- Arvind Singh – Rowing
- Akhil Sheoran – Shooting
- Treesa Jolly – Badminton
- Gayatri Gopichand – Badminton
- Lalremsiami – Hockey
- Muhammed Ajmal – Athletics
- Pooja – Kabaddi
I. Arumainayagam Gets Arjuna Award for Lifetime Contribution
Former Indian footballer I. Arumainayagam has been selected for the Arjuna Award (Lifetime).
Arumainayagam was part of India’s historic football team that won the gold medal at the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta. He also represented India at the 1964 AFC Asian Cup and other major international tournaments.
His selection recognises his contribution to Indian football both during his playing career and after retirement.
Three Coaches Selected for Dronacharya Award
The government has also selected three coaches for the Dronacharya Award, which honours coaches who have consistently contributed to the development of athletes and helped them achieve success at international competitions.
The 2025 recipients are:
- Parveer Singh – Athletics
- Chhote Lal Yadav – Boxing
- Neha Nandkumar Chavan – Shooting
The Dronacharya Award (Lifetime) will be presented to Dharmendra Yadav and Virender Kumar.
Ronjan Sodhi Calls for Early Talent Identification
Former Khel Ratna awardee Ronjan Sodhi has also stressed the need for India to strengthen its sports talent identification programmes, particularly with the 2036 Olympics in mind.
Sodhi said India is already running behind schedule and should begin identifying promising athletes at the grassroots level. He suggested greater involvement from experienced shooters and sports federations in scouting talent from schools.
With India continuing its preparations for future Olympic campaigns, the latest awards have once again highlighted the importance of developing athletes and coaches across multiple sporting disciplines.
