President Murmu Honors National Sports Award Winners for 2025

New Delhi, November 13 (Daily Kiran) : President Droupadi Murmu officially presented the National Sports Awards for 2025 during a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on November 13, 2026. Among the distinguished recipients were decathlete Tejaswin Shankar and chess champion Divya Deshmukh, along with 15 other athletes who excelled in various sports.

Tejaswin Shankar made history by winning a bronze medal in the decathlon at the Commonwealth Games, becoming the first Indian athlete to achieve this feat. Divya Deshmukh also gained recognition by winning the FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025, making her the first Indian woman to do so. In a thrilling final held in Baku, she defeated renowned player Koneru Humpy 1.5–0.5 in a rapid tie-break.

Other Arjuna Award recipients included track and field athlete Muhammad Azmal Variyathodi, race walker Priyanka Goswami, boxer Narendra, chess player Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, para shooter Dhanush Srikanth, hockey players Lalremsiami Hmarjort and Rajkumar Pal, kabaddi players Surjit and Pooja, para athlete Ekta Bhyan, rover Arvind Singh, and shooter Akhil Shyoran.

Notably absent from the ceremony were India’s leading women’s badminton doubles pair, Trisha Jolly and Pulela Gayatri Gopichand, as they were competing in the Japan Masters tournament. Veteran Indian footballer Isaiah Arumainayagam received the Arjuna Award (Lifetime) for his enduring contributions to sports.

The Arjuna Award (Lifetime) is presented to athletes who have significantly contributed to their sport and continue to promote sports even after retirement. Coaches who have excelled in their fields, such as athletics coach Parveer Singh and boxing coaches Chhote Lal Yadav and Dharmendra Singh Yadav, received the Dronacharya Award for their outstanding mentorship.

The Dronacharya Award recognizes coaches who consistently achieve excellence and prepare athletes for international competitions. Additionally, Baljeet Kaur and Skuljang Rigzin (Land Adventure), Rimo Saha (Water Adventure), and Shiv Prasad Chamoli (Lifetime Achievement) were honored with the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award 2024, which acknowledges remarkable achievements in adventure sports.

The Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award is given in four categories: Land Adventure, Water Adventure, Air Adventure, and Lifetime Achievement, promoting qualities such as endurance, risk-taking, teamwork, and decision-making in challenging situations.

Furthermore, the Pune-based Army Paralympic Node received the National Sports Promotion Award, presented by Lieutenant Colonel Daljeet Singh. This award recognizes corporate entities and NGOs that have made significant contributions to the promotion and development of sports.

The National Sports Awards are presented annually to acknowledge and reward excellence in sports. The final list of award winners for 2025 was announced by the Ministry of Sports on August 18, based on recommendations from a selection committee chaired by retired Supreme Court Justice Arun Kumar Mishra.

This year saw a substantial number of applications for the awards, evaluated by the selection committee, which included notable athletes, sports journalists, and administrators. It’s worth noting that the award ceremony was delayed by over a year; typically, these awards are presented on August 29, the birthday of the late Major Dhyan Chand. However, in years when the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, or Asian Games occur, the date is adjusted in consultation with the President’s Secretariat.