The sports awards in India list is a high-frequency GK topic tested in UPSC, SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, Banking, Railways, NDA, CDS, and all State PSC competitive exams — India’s national sports awards recognise outstanding achievement by athletes, coaches, and sports institutions.
The four major awards — Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna (highest), Arjuna Award, Dronacharya Award (coaches), and Dhyan Chand Award (lifetime achievement) — are presented by the President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan on National Sports Day (August 29), the birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand. This page covers all recipients and key exam-ready facts.
⚡ Quick Facts
- Khel Ratna renamed (Aug 2021): From “Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna” to “Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award” — honouring the hockey legend whose birthday (Aug 29) is National Sports Day.
- First Khel Ratna recipient (1991–92): Vishwanathan Anand (Chess). He also received it again in 2011–12 — only player to win it twice.
- Arjuna Award (1961): India’s oldest major sports award — for consistent outstanding performance over at least 4 years. Prize: ₹15 lakh + bronze Arjuna statue.
- Dronacharya Award (1985): Given to coaches (not athletes) who have produced medal-winning athletes at international level. Two categories since 2019: Regular + Lifetime.
- National Sports Day: August 29 every year — birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand; awards presented on this date by President of India.
Trap 1 — Dhyan Chand Award ≠ Khel Ratna: The “Dhyan Chand Award” is a separate lifetime achievement award (est. 2002, ₹10 lakh) for athletes. The “Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna” is the highest sports award for current performance (₹25 lakh). These are TWO different awards — both named after Dhyan Chand.
Trap 2 — Oldest award: The Arjuna Award (1961) is India’s oldest major sports award, NOT the Khel Ratna (which was instituted in 1991–92). The MAKA Trophy (inter-university) was established even earlier in 1956–57.
Trap 3 — Dronacharya Award is for COACHES: The Dronacharya Award goes to coaches, not athletes. An athlete who becomes a coach later might receive Dronacharya; athletes receive Arjuna or Khel Ratna.
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🏆 National Sports Awards — Quick Reference
| # | Award | Instituted | Given To | Prize Money | Key Fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Highest | 1991–92 | Outstanding athlete — best performance in a year | ₹25 lakh | Renamed from “Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna” in August 2021; first winner: Vishwanathan Anand (1991–92) |
| 2 | Arjuna Award 2nd Highest | 1961 | Athletes with consistent outstanding performance over 4+ years | ₹15 lakh | Oldest major sports award; ₹15 lakh + bronze Arjuna statue + scroll; named after Pandava archer Arjuna |
| 3 | Dronacharya Award For Coaches | 1985 | Outstanding coaches producing international medallists | ₹15 lakh | Named after Guru Drona (Mahabharata); two categories since 2019: Regular + Lifetime; bronze statue of Drona |
| 4 | Dhyan Chand Award Lifetime | 2002 | Athletes with lifetime contribution to sports development | ₹10 lakh | Named after Major Dhyan Chand; NOT the same as Khel Ratna (which is also named after him) |
| 5 | Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar | 2009 | Corporates/individuals for sports promotion | Trophy + Certificate | For organisations promoting sports — not for individual athletes |
| 6 | MAKA Trophy | 1956–57 | Best university in inter-university sports (rolling) | Rolling trophy | Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy; earliest sports award — given to universities |
🥇 Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna — All Recipients (1991–2024)
| # ↕ | Year ↕ | Athlete ↕ | Sport ↕ | Key Exam Fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1991–92 | Vishwanathan Anand First Ever | Chess | First-ever Khel Ratna recipient; World Chess Champion; also won again in 2011–12 |
| 2 | 1992–93 | Geet Sethi | Billiards | World Billiards Champion; Gujarat; 2nd Khel Ratna recipient |
| 3 | 1993–94 | Leander Paes | Tennis | 18 Grand Slam doubles/mixed doubles titles; also won 1996 Atlanta Olympic Bronze |
| 4 | 1994–95 | Karnam Malleswari | Weightlifting | First Indian woman Olympic medalist (Bronze, Sydney 2000); Khel Ratna before Olympic medal |
| 5 | 1995–96 | Leander Paes & Mahesh Bhupathi | Tennis (Doubles) | Famous doubles partnership; only time a pair jointly received Khel Ratna in early era |
| 6 | 1996–97 | Dhanraj Pillay | Hockey | One of India’s greatest hockey strikers; four World Cups, three Commonwealth Games, four Asian Games |
| 7 | 1997–98 | Sachin Tendulkar Cricket Legend | Cricket | 100 international centuries; Bharat Ratna (2014); greatest cricketer of all time |
| 8 | 1998–99 | Jyotirmoyee Sikdar | Athletics | Middle-distance runner; Asian Games medallist; West Bengal |
| 9 | 1999–2000 | Dingko Singh | Boxing | Asian Games Gold 1998 (Bangkok); Manipur; inspired a generation of Northeast Indian boxers |
| 10 | 2000–01 | Pullela Gopichand | Badminton | All England Open Champion 2001; later won Dronacharya Award as coach (2009); trained PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal |
| 11 | 2001–02 | Abhinav Bindra | Shooting | First Indian individual Olympic gold (Beijing 2008, 10m Air Rifle); received Khel Ratna 6 years before Olympic gold |
| 12 | 2002–03 | K. M. Beenamol | Athletics | Asian Games gold medallist (2002); 800m and 400m runner; Kerala |
| 13 | 2003–04 | Anju Bobby George World Athletics Medal | Athletics (Long Jump) | India’s first World Athletics Championship medal (Bronze, Paris 2003); first Indian woman to win a World Athletics medal |
| 14 | 2004–05 | Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore | Shooting | Silver at Athens 2004 (Double Trap); India’s first individual shooting Olympic medal; later Union Minister for Sports |
| 15 | 2005–06 | Pankaj Advani | Billiards/Snooker | Multiple World Billiards and Snooker championships; Karnataka; one of India’s most decorated cue sports players |
| 16 | 2006–07 | Manavjit Singh Sandhu | Shooting (Trap) | World No.1 in trap shooting; Punjab; World Championship medallist; Khel Ratna for sustained excellence |
| 17 | 2007–08 | M. S. Dhoni | Cricket | Led India to T20 World Cup 2007, ODI World Cup 2011, Champions Trophy 2013; Padma Bhushan; Jharkhand |
| 18 | 2008–09 | Mary Kom | Boxing | Five-time World Boxing Champion (at time of award); London 2012 Olympic Bronze; Manipur; film “Mary Kom” (2014) |
| 19 | 2009–10 | Saina Nehwal | Badminton | World No.1 in 2015; London 2012 Olympic Bronze; first Indian badminton Olympic medalist; Hyderabad |
| 20 | 2010–11 | Gagan Narang | Shooting | Bronze at London 2012 Olympics (10m Air Rifle); World No.1 in air rifle; Hyderabad |
| 21 | 2011–12 | Viswanathan Anand 2nd Khel Ratna | Chess | Only player to win Khel Ratna twice (also 1991–92); World Chess Champion multiple times |
| 22 | 2012–13 | Sushil Kumar & Yogeshwar Dutt | Wrestling | Both won London 2012 Olympic medals; Sushil = Silver (66kg), Yogeshwar = Bronze (60kg) |
| 23 | 2013–14 | Ronjan Sodhi | Shooting (Double Trap) | World record holder in double trap; Punjab; one of India’s finest shotgun shooters |
| 24 | 2014–15 | Vikas Gowda | Athletics (Discus) | World-ranked top-5 discus thrower; Karnataka; Commonwealth Games medallist |
| 25 | 2015–16 | PV Sindhu, Dipa Karmakar, Jitu Rai, Sakshi Malik | Badminton / Gymnastics / Shooting / Wrestling | Largest batch (4 winners); Rio 2016 — Sindhu (Silver), Sakshi (Bronze); Dipa = first Indian woman gymnast at Olympics |
| 26 | 2016–17 | Devendra Jhajharia & Sardar Singh | Para-Athletics / Hockey | Jhajharia = 2× Paralympic gold in javelin; Sardar Singh = Indian hockey captain; para-athlete in Khel Ratna batch |
| 27 | 2017–18 | Virat Kohli & Mirabai Chanu | Cricket / Weightlifting | Kohli = India’s leading run-scorer of his era; Chanu = World Weightlifting Champion 2017; Tokyo 2020 Silver |
| 28 | 2018–19 | Bajrang Punia & Deepa Malik | Wrestling / Para-Athletics | Bajrang = World Wrestling Championship Silver; Deepa Malik = first Indian woman Paralympic medallist (Silver, Rio 2016) |
| 29 | 2020–21 | Neeraj Chopra, Ravi Dahiya, Lovlina Borgohain, PR Sreejesh, Mithali Raj, Sunil Chhetri, Manpreet Singh, Avani Lekhara Largest Batch (8) | Javelin / Wrestling / Boxing / Hockey / Cricket / Football / Hockey / Para-Shooting | Largest Khel Ratna batch ever (8 winners); post-Tokyo 2020 Olympics; Avani Lekhara = first Indian woman Paralympic gold medalist |
| 30 | 2022 | Achanta Sharath Kamal | Table Tennis | Commonwealth Games gold 2022 (Gold Coast and Birmingham); India’s table tennis legend; Tamil Nadu |
| 31 | 2023 | Chirag Shetty & Satwiksairaj Rankireddy | Badminton (Men’s Doubles) | World No.1 doubles pair; CWG gold, Asian Games gold (2023); first Indian doubles pair to win Khel Ratna |
| 32 | 2024 | Manu Bhaker, D. Gukesh, Harmanpreet Singh, Praveen Kumar 4 Winners | Shooting / Chess / Hockey / Para-Athletics | Manu Bhaker = first Indian (post-Independence) with 2 medals at same Olympics (Paris 2024, 2× Bronze); D. Gukesh = youngest-ever World Chess Champion (Nov 2024); Harmanpreet Singh = hockey captain, back-to-back Olympic bronze (Paris 2024); Praveen Kumar = Paris 2024 Paralympics gold |
🏹 Arjuna Award — Recent Recipients (2019–2024)
| Year | Athlete | Sport | Key Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Bajrang Punia | Wrestling | World Championship Silver; later won Khel Ratna (2018–19) |
| 2019 | Deepa Malik | Para-Athletics | First Indian woman Paralympic medallist (Rio 2016 Silver) |
| 2020 | Atanu Das | Archery | World No.1 recurve archer at peak; Bengal |
| 2020 | Dutee Chand | Athletics (Sprint) | India’s fastest woman sprinter; 100m and 200m; Odisha |
| 2021 | Pramod Bhagat | Para-Badminton | Paralympic gold medalist (Tokyo 2020); SL3 category; Odisha |
| 2021 | Avani Lekhara | Para-Shooting | First Indian woman to win Paralympic gold (Tokyo 2020, 10m Air Rifle) |
| 2022 | Seema Punia | Athletics (Discus) | Multiple Commonwealth Games medals; Haryana; 16+ years of elite competition |
| 2022 | Elavenil Valarivan | Shooting | World No.1 in 10m Air Rifle; Tamil Nadu; multiple World Cup gold medals |
| 2023 | Ojas Pravin Deotale | Archery | World Archery Championship gold (compound); Maharashtra |
| 2024 | Swapnil Kusale | Shooting | Bronze at Paris 2024 Olympics (50m Rifle 3 Positions); Maharashtra |
| 2024 | Sarabjot Singh | Shooting | Bronze at Paris 2024 Olympics (10m Air Pistol Mixed Team, with Manu Bhaker) |
| 2024 | Aman Sehrawat | Wrestling | Bronze at Paris 2024 Olympics (57kg freestyle); youngest Indian Olympic medallist at Paris |
| 2024 | Jyothi Yarraji | Athletics (Hurdles) | India’s fastest woman hurdler; national record in 100m hurdles; Andhra Pradesh |
| 2024 | Annu Rani | Athletics (Javelin) | India’s top women’s javelin thrower; World Athletics Championships finalist; UP |
🎓 Dronacharya Award — Recent Recipients (2019–2024)
| Year | Coach | Sport | Category | Key Fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Vimal Kumar | Badminton | Regular | Coached PV Sindhu for a period; Bangalore-based coach |
| 2019 | Sandeep Gupta | Table Tennis | Lifetime | Long-term contribution to Indian table tennis; two categories introduced this year |
| 2020 | Dharmendra Tiwary | Archery | Regular | Coached Deepika Kumari and other top archers; UP |
| 2021 | T P Ouseph | Para-Badminton | Regular | Coach of Pramod Bhagat (Paralympic gold, Tokyo 2020) |
| 2022 | Jiwanjot Singh Teja | Athletics | Regular | Coached multiple Athletics Federation of India medallists |
| 2023 | Lalit Kumar | Wrestling | Regular | Produced multiple national and international wrestling champions |
| 2024 | S. Murali | Table Tennis | Regular | Coached Achanta Sharath Kamal and other top TT players |
⭐ Dhyan Chand Award (Lifetime Achievement) — Recent Recipients
| Year | Athlete | Sport | Key Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Manuel Fredriks | Hockey | Former Indian hockey international; lifetime contribution |
| 2020 | Chhanu Ojha | Wrestling | Former international wrestler; long career contribution |
| 2021 | Shabbir Ali | Football | Former India football national team player; Tamil Nadu |
| 2022 | Ashok Diwan | Hockey | Former Indian hockey player; lifetime service to hockey |
| 2023 | Vineet Kumar Sharma | Boxing | Long career in Indian boxing; coaching and playing contributions |
| 2024 | Hawa Singh | Boxing | Posthumous; legendary Indian amateur boxer; two-time Asian Games gold (1966, 1970) |
⚖️ Compare Two Award Categories
📝 Key Notes & Memory Tips
The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award was renamed the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in August 2021 by the Government of India. The renaming followed widespread public demand — particularly following Neeraj Chopra’s historic Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020 and a general movement to rename the award after India’s greatest hockey player. Major Dhyan Chand led India to three consecutive Olympic gold medals in hockey (1928, 1932, 1936). His birthday, August 29, is celebrated as National Sports Day in India, and the awards are typically presented on this date.
Khel Ratna (1991–92): Vishwanathan Anand (Chess) — also the only player to win it twice (again in 2011–12). Arjuna Award (1961): Multiple inaugural recipients across sports including Salim Durrani (Cricket). Dronacharya Award (1985): First given to Bhalchandra Bhaskar Bhagwat and O. M. Nambiar. Dhyan Chand Award (2002): Inaugurated in 2002 for lifetime achievement by athletes, as distinct from the Dronacharya (coaches) and Arjuna (active/recent career).
2015–16: 4 winners (PV Sindhu, Dipa Karmakar, Jitu Rai, Sakshi Malik) — all Rio 2016-related performers. 2020–21: 8 winners (largest batch ever) — Neeraj Chopra, Ravi Dahiya, Lovlina Borgohain, PR Sreejesh, Mithali Raj, Sunil Chhetri, Manpreet Singh, Avani Lekhara — post-Tokyo 2020 Olympics. 2023: Chirag Shetty & Satwik Rankireddy (badminton doubles) — first doubles pair to jointly receive Khel Ratna. 2024: Manu Bhaker (Shooting), D. Gukesh (Chess), Harmanpreet Singh (Hockey), Praveen Kumar (Para-Athletics) — presented January 17, 2025.
There are TWO different awards named after Major Dhyan Chand: (1) The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award — India’s HIGHEST sports award for current outstanding performance (₹25 lakh); given to active/recently active athletes. (2) The Dhyan Chand Award — a lifetime achievement award (₹10 lakh); given to retired athletes for their contribution over a lifetime. Both are named after the same hockey legend but serve completely different purposes and recipient categories.
Four awards in prestige order: “Khel Ratna → Arjuna → Dronacharya → Dhyan Chand” → King Athlete Develops Dynasty
Institution years: “Arjuna-1961, Drona-1985, KR-1992, DC-2002” → Arjuna oldest; Dhyan Chand newest
Prize money descending: “₹25L → ₹15L = ₹15L → ₹10L” → Khel Ratna → Arjuna = Dronacharya → Dhyan Chand
First Khel Ratna: “Anand 1992 — Checkmate First” → Vishwanathan Anand won with chess
Dronacharya = for COACHES: “Drona taught Arjuna” → Dronacharya Award goes to the teacher/coach, not the student/athlete
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The award was renamed from “Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna” to “Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award” in August 2021, in honour of India’s legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand. The renaming followed widespread public demand. His birthday, August 29, is celebrated as National Sports Day in India.
Vishwanathan Anand, the chess grandmaster, was the first ever recipient of the Khel Ratna Award in 1991\u201392. He has since won the award twice, also receiving it in 2011\u201312 \u2014 making him the only player to win the Khel Ratna twice. The award carries a cash prize of \u20b925 lakh.
The Arjuna Award was instituted in 1961 by the Government of India to recognise consistent outstanding performance in sports over a minimum of four years. It is India’s second-highest national sports honour (and oldest major sports award), carrying a prize of \u20b915 lakh, a bronze statue of Arjuna, and a scroll.
The Dronacharya Award, instituted in 1985 and named after the legendary guru from the Mahabharata, is given to outstanding coaches who have produced medal-winning athletes at international competitions. Since 2019, it has two categories \u2014 Regular (recent achievement) and Lifetime (long-term contribution).
Neeraj Chopra received the Khel Ratna Award in 2021 after winning the men’s javelin throw gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics \u2014 India’s first-ever track-and-field Olympic gold. The 2020\u201321 Khel Ratna batch was the largest ever, with 8 recipients including Mirabai Chanu, Ravi Dahiya, and PR Sreejesh.
✅ Key Takeaways
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
India’s four major national sports awards are: (1) Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award — India’s highest sports honour for the most outstanding performance at international level (₹25 lakh); (2) Arjuna Award — for consistent outstanding performance over four years (₹15 lakh); (3) Dronacharya Award — for outstanding coaches (₹15 lakh); and (4) Dhyan Chand Award — for lifetime contribution to sports development in India (₹10 lakh). All are presented by the President of India on National Sports Day (August 29).
The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award was renamed the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in August 2021 by the Government of India. The renaming came after widespread public demand — particularly following Neeraj Chopra’s historic Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020 — to honour Major Dhyan Chand, India’s greatest hockey player who led the Indian team to three Olympic gold medals (1928, 1932, 1936). His birthday, August 29, is celebrated as National Sports Day in India.
Both are given to athletes, but they differ in criteria and prestige. The Khel Ratna (₹25 lakh) is India’s highest sports award, given for spectacular and outstanding performance at international level in a particular year — typically to Olympic or World Championship medallists. The Arjuna Award (₹15 lakh) recognises consistent outstanding performance over a minimum of four years in international competition. An athlete can receive both: the Arjuna first, and the Khel Ratna later for a peak achievement.
National Sports Day in India is celebrated on August 29 every year — the birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand, widely regarded as the greatest field hockey player in history. The national sports awards (Khel Ratna, Arjuna, Dronacharya, Dhyan Chand) are typically presented by the President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan on National Sports Day. Major Dhyan Chand led India to Olympic gold in 1928, 1932, and 1936, scoring over 400 goals in international matches.
