2025 National Sports Awards: Arjuna Nominees Revealed

The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has announced the 2025 National Sports Awards. This year, there are 17 nominations for the prestigious Arjuna Awards. Notably, no athletes have been recommended for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna awards, marking the third time this has happened since the award was established in 1991-92.

The Selection Committee, led by Justice (Retired) Arun Kumar Mishra, has recommended these awards based on their exceptional performance and dedication to sports. The National Sports Awards are given annually to honor excellence in sports.

Among the Arjuna Award nominees are athlete Tejaswin Shankar, who won a bronze medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, and chess stars Vidit Gujarathi and Divya Deshmukh. Also nominated are badminton players Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly. The Arjuna Award recognizes outstanding performance over the past four years, along with leadership, sportsmanship, and discipline.

Other nominees for the Arjuna Awards include Muhammad Variyathodi (athletics), Priyanka Goswami (athletics), Narender (boxing), Dhanush Srikanth (deaf shooting), Lalremsiami (hockey), Rajkumar Pal (hockey), Surjeet and Pooja (kabaddi), Rudransh Khandelwal and Ekta Bhyan (para-shooting), Arvind Singh (rowing), and Akhil Sheoran (shooting).

Former Indian footballer Arumainayagam will receive the Arjuna Award for Lifetime Achievement. In the Dronacharya Awards, Parveer Singh, Chhote Lal Yadav, and Neha Nandkumar Chavan will be honored in the regular category, while Dharmendra Singh Yadav and Virender Kumar will receive lifetime awards.

The Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar will be awarded to the Army Paralympic Node, Pune, for their significant contribution to promoting sports.