• ¨     Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the National Sports Awards 2025 to recognise and reward excellence in sports.

    ¨     The awards are presented annually by the President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

    ¨     For 2025, the selection committee recommended 17 athletes for the Arjuna Award, 5 coaches for the Dronacharya Award, and 1 organisation for the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar.

    ¨     The National Sports Awards are regarded as the highest sporting honours in India and are administered by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

    ¨     A dedicated selection committee headed by a retired Supreme Court or High Court judge evaluates nominations based on international achievements over a four-year period.

    ¨     The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award is India’s highest sporting honour, given for spectacular and outstanding performance over four years.

    ¨     The Arjuna Award is given for consistent good performance, leadership, sportsmanship and discipline over a four-year period.

    ¨     The Arjuna Award (Lifetime) recognises retired athletes who achieved honours during their active careers and continue to contribute to the promotion of sports.

    ¨     The Dronacharya Award honours coaches who have produced medal-winning athletes and teams at international competitions.

    ¨     The Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar recognises corporate entities, sports control boards and NGOs for promoting sports and identifying sporting talent.

    ¨     The Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy is awarded to the top-performing university in inter-university tournaments.