India’s sporting excellence has earned another round of recognition, with 17 athletes named for the Arjuna Award for outstanding performance in Sports and Games.

Among the prominent names are India’s celebrated women’s badminton doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Pullela Gayatri Gopichand, who have emerged as one of the country’s most exciting young combinations. The list spans athletics, badminton, boxing, chess, hockey, kabaddi, shooting, para-sports and rowing, reflecting the breadth of India’s sporting talent.

Athletes named for the Arjuna Award include Tejaswin Shankar, Muhammed Ajmal V, Priyanka Goswami, Narender, Vidit Gujrathi, Divya Jitendra Deshmukh, Dhanush Srikanth, Lalremsiami Hmarzote, Rajkumar Pal, Surjeet, Pooja, Rudransh Khandelwal, Ekta Bhyan, Arvind Singh and Akhil Sheoran, alongside Treesa and Gayatri.

A Historic Chess Champion Among the Honourees

One of the standout names on the list is Divya Jitendra Deshmukh, whose selection follows a remarkable breakthrough in chess. Deshmukh recently created history by becoming the first Indian woman to win the FIDE Women’s World Cup.

Athletics star Tejaswin Shankar has also been recognised following his impressive performances on the international stage, including his silver medal at the 2023 Asian Games. The awards also shine a light on athletes competing in para-sports and deaf sports, with Rudransh Khandelwal, Ekta Bhyan and Dhanush Srikanth among those selected.

Honouring Those Who Built Champions

The National Sports Awards are not only about athletes. Veteran footballer I Arumainayagam, a member of India’s gold-medal-winning team at the 1962 Asian Games, will receive the Arjuna Award (Lifetime).

The Dronacharya Award will recognise coaches whose work has helped shape India’s sporting success. The regular category includes athletics coach Parveer Singh, boxing coach Chhote Lal Yadav and shooting coach Neha Nandkumar Chavan.

The Lifetime Dronacharya Award will go to boxing coach Dharmendra Singh Yadav and wrestling coach Virender Kumar.

One Big Award Remains Empty

While several sporting stars made the list, there was one notable absence. The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, India’s highest sporting honour, will have no recipient for 2025. It is only the third time since the award was instituted in 1991-92 that no sportsperson has been selected, following similar instances in 2008 and 2014.

The final list was based on recommendations of a selection committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice (Retd.) Arun Kumar Mishra. Meanwhile, the Army Paralympic Node, Pune will receive the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar for its contribution to sports promotion and development.

The honours collectively celebrate not just medals and records, but the athletes, coaches and institutions helping India’s sporting story move forward.