Editor’s Note
This article provides a concise overview of India’s National Sports Awards, which honor the achievements of athletes, coaches, and organizations in advancing the country’s sporting landscape.
National Sports Awards are given in India to recognize significant contributions in the field of sports. Athletes, coaches, or organizations are honored with six different awards for their achievements and contributions to the development of Indian sports.
India’s National Sports Awards consist of six major awards: the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (or simply Khel Ratna), the Arjuna Award, the Dronacharya Award, the Major Dhyan Chand Award, the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy (also known as the MAKA Trophy), and the National Sports Promotion Award.
Since 2004, the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award has also been given alongside the six National Sports Awards, making it an unofficial part of the list.
The National Sports Awards are distributed annually by India’s Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Typically, recommended athletes receive their awards from the President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan on the birthday of Indian hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand. India’s National Sports Day is celebrated on August 29.
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award: Awarded for outstanding performance in sports over a four-year period.
Arjuna Award: Honored for consistent good performance over a four-year period.
Dronacharya Award: Given to coaches who prepare medal winners at prestigious international events.
Arjuna Award (Lifetime): Awarded for good performance and contribution to promoting sports.
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy: Awarded to a university for top performance in inter-university tournaments over the past year.
National Sports Promotion Award: To honor organizations and individuals for their role in sports promotion and development over the past three years.
Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award: Given for outstanding achievements in the field of adventure activities or sports on land, sea, and air.
The Khel Ratna Award is considered India’s highest sporting honor. The Khel Ratna was first awarded in 1991-92 as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, although its name was changed to the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021. The Khel Ratna is awarded for outstanding performance in sports over a four-year period. Winners receive a medal, a certificate, and a cash prize.
Pistol shooter Abhinav Bindra, who won India’s first individual Olympic gold medal at Beijing 2008, is the youngest player to win the Khel Ratna. Bindra won the award in 2001 when he was just 18 years old. Olympic bronze medalist weightlifter Karnam Malleswari was the first Indian woman to win the Khel Ratna Award in 1994-95.
The Arjuna Award, named after the main protagonist Arjuna from the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata, was established in 1961. Before the Khel Ratna came into existence, it was India’s highest sporting honor.
Winners of the Arjuna Award receive a statue of Arjuna, a certificate, and a cash prize for consistent good performance over a four-year period.
According to current rules, a Khel Ratna winner cannot be nominated for the Arjuna Award. However, an Arjuna Award winner can be nominated for the Khel Ratna.
Established in 1985, the Dronacharya Award is India’s highest sports honor for coaches. It is awarded to individuals for preparing medal winners at prestigious international events.
Interestingly, Dronacharya or Drona was the guru or coach of Arjuna in the Mahabharata. Award winners receive a bronze statue of Dronacharya, a certificate, and a cash prize.
Wrestling coach Bhalchandra Bhaskar Bhagwat, boxing mentor Om Prakash Bhardwaj, and the great athletics coach OM Nambiar, who redirected the career of Indian sprint queen PT Usha, were among the first Dronacharya Award winners.
Athletics coach Renu Kohli was the first woman to win the Dronacharya Award in 2002.
The Dronacharya Award is given for both recent achievements and lifetime contributions.
The Arjuna Award Lifetime represents India’s highest honor for lifetime achievements in sports.
The Lifetime Award, given for good performance and contribution to promoting sports in personal capacity, was originally constituted in 2002 and was called the Major Dhyan Chand Award until 2023. In 2024, it was renamed as the Arjuna Award Lifetime by the Indian Sports Ministry to ‘rationalize’ the country’s various sports honors.
Olympian boxer Shahu Raj Birajdar, Indian men’s hockey team player Ashok Diwan, and a brilliant player and coach of the Indian women’s basketball team, Aparna Ghosh, were the first winners of the Major Dhyan Chand Award.
The oldest national sports award in India, the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy or MAKA Trophy, was established in 1956-1957.
In honor of Indian freedom fighter and the country’s first Education Minister Abul Kalam Azad, it is awarded to a university for top performance in inter-university tournaments over the past year.