Union Ayush Minister Prataprao Jadhav has written to Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, recommending Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu for the Arjuna Award. Despite having received higher honours like the Khel Ratna and Padma Shri, Chanu's childhood dream of the Arjuna Award remains unfulfilled, and Jadhav believes it would be a fitting recognition of her contributions to Indian sport.
Indian judoka Pincky Balhara secured a bronze medal at the Asian Games in the -78kg event, but her mother revealed she was heartbroken, having been solely focused on winning gold, a dream she has chased for years.
Indian shooter Rudrankksh Patil secured a bronze medal at the Asian Games in the men's 10m air rifle event, expressing mixed feelings about his performance and a long-standing frustration over not receiving the Arjuna Award despite his world champion status and multiple achievements. He also reflected on past setbacks and the mental challenges of elite sport.
The National Sports Awards in India have been delayed due to a re-evaluation process aimed at ensuring only deserving athletes receive the honour. The Sports Ministry is reassessing Arjuna Award recommendations to maintain the award's value and avoid controversies.
Seventeen Indian sportspersons, including World Cup winning chess player Divya Deshmukh, decathlete Tejaswin Shankar, and shuttler Gayatri Gopichand, have been named for the prestigious Arjuna Award for 2025.
The Sports Ministry is set to commence the nomination process for the National Sports Awards next month, following a delayed announcement of the 2025 awards. The delay was due to a re-evaluation process aimed at preserving the integrity of the honours, which resulted in no Khel Ratna awardee for 2025 and fewer Arjuna awardees than recommended. The article also details the criteria for these prestigious awards and highlights some of the notable Arjuna awardees for 2025.
The duo did not receive the Arjuna Awards during the Award ceremony held last year on September 25 in Rashtrapati Bhawan, as they were out of the country taking part in international tournaments.
Shami was there to receive the honours. He took 24 wickets in seven World Cup games last year.
India's star pacer Mohammed Shami, who has been declared as the recipient of the Arjuna Award, said that it is a dream come true for him to be the recipient of India's second-highest athletic honour.
On November 30, President Droupadi Murmu presented the Sports and Adventure Awards 2022 at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Former recipients of the Arjuna award on Tuesday lamented that its dignity has been lowered and the government is now 'throwing' the honour away.
Cheteshwar Pujara was presented with the prestigious Arjuna award five years after he was recommended for the honour.
In an unusual move, ace weightlifter Mirabai Chanu has been nominated for the Arjuna award by the national federation though the former World champion is already a recipient of Khel Ratna, country's highest sporting honour. The Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) has nominated Chanu along with Ragala Venkat Rahul and Punam Yadav.
Women's cricketer Anju Jain is among the awardees, while none of her popular male counterparts were nominated.
India cricketers Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma were, on Friday, conferred with the coveted Arjuna Award for this year and the previous year respectively by Sports Minister Vijay Goel in New Delhi.
Deepti is one of the 27 athletes who will be getting the Arjuna Award on August 29 this year.
Jadeja is among the 19 sportspersons, who were nominated for the Arjuna award this year.
As per the Ministry sources, a special request was made by the BCCI to the sports ministry to include Shami's name as he didn't originally feature in the list of the country's second-highest sporting honour.
BAI General Secretary Ajay Singhania said that BAI is in receipt of the letter from the shuttler.
Arjuna Awardee and Indian kabaddi team member Ritu Negi was controversially dropped from Himachal Pradesh's cash award list for Asian Games gold medallists, reportedly due to her marriage in Haryana.
Indian badminton players Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly secured a landmark women's doubles bronze medal at the World Championships, marking India's first in the category since 2011. Despite a semifinal loss to the world No. 1 pair, their impressive performance has instilled new belief and earned them a place among India's elite badminton medallists.
It has emerged now that Prannoy's name was recommended by Gopichand on June 3 in his capacity as a Khel Ratna Award recipient.
CA Bhavani Devi, the first Indian fencer to participate at the Olympics, on Monday received her Arjuna Award from Sports Minister Anurag Thakur.
India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was presented the Arjuna Award, which was conferred on him last year, by the Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, in New Delhi, on Friday.
Vinesh Phogat returned her Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award to the government protesting against the election of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh-loyalist Sanjay Singh.
Sanjita Chanu will be conferred with the Arjuna award as per a 2018 Delhi High Court order, which directed the selection committee to consider her and keep the decision in a sealed cover to be disclosed only if she was absolved of the doping charges.
The AIFF again proposed the name of Jo Paul Ancheri after the versatile player missed out on the prestigious honour last year.
Newly-appointed India women's cricket captain Smriti Mandhana has been named a celebrity advocate by UNICEF India to promote equal opportunities, health, and well-being for adolescent girls, coinciding with the International Day of the Girl.
Amidst controversies, the National Sports Awards were presented by President Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Board has given the names of Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik as India's representatives in the World XI team that will play West Indies in a charity Twenty20 match at the Lord's on May 31.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who was named the Board of Control for Cricket in India's best player in the 2012-13 season, has been recommended for the Arjuna award this year.
Ace Indian sprinter Dutee Chand said the Arjuna Award will motivate her to win a prestigious Olympic medal at the Tokyo Games next year.
Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi awarded shooter Elavenil Valarivan Rs 1.33 crore under the Khel Pratibha Puraskar Yojana for her two silver medals at the Asian Games 2026. The state government highlighted its commitment to nurturing sporting talent through various schemes and acknowledged the role of parents in athletes' success. Valarivan, an Arjuna Award recipient, has been associated with the Shaktidoot Scheme since 2017-18 and has represented India at multiple Olympics and won gold at the ISSF World Cup.
The National Sports Awards have been delayed due to a re-evaluation process by the Sports Ministry to ensure only deserving athletes are honoured. The ministry aims to establish clearer criteria to avoid controversies and ensure deserving athletes are recognised without unnecessary hurdles.
The Asian Junior Classical Championship in Mumbai saw top seed Mayank Chakraborty win his opening match, while other leading contenders Vignesh Advaith Vemula and Akhilbay Imangali were held to draws. The girls' section witnessed several upsets, with lower-rated players securing draws or victories against higher-rated opponents. The tournament features a strong field of 85 players from nine federations, including International Masters and FIDE Masters.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India nominated prolific run scorer Cheteshwar Pujara for the prestigious Arjuna award, acknowledging his stupendous show during the last Test season for India.
The Maharashtra government has proposed a posthumous Padma Vibhushan award for wrestler Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav, India's first individual Olympic medalist, to the Bombay High Court.
The Asian Junior Classical Championship in Mumbai saw top seed Mayank Chakraborty win his opening match, while other leading contenders Vignesh Advaith Vemula and Akhilbay Imangali were held to draws. The girls' section witnessed several upsets, with lower-rated players securing draws or victories against higher-rated opponents. The tournament features a strong field of 85 players from nine federations, including International Masters and FIDE Masters.
