Posted by The financial benefits which come in addition to these awards may not be substantial, but the esteem, honor, fame, and pride which come along are absolutely incalculable. Getting these awards from the country’s authorities boosts their youth’s morale and provides them with an impetus to perform outstandingly in the games.
As we know the sports are essential for your body and mind development. We all extremely love and encourage ourselves to be part of sports either by playing them or encourage our favorite player during playing time. There are a huge number of sports and games are being played in India like football, cricket, chess, hockey, wrestling, boxing, badminton, table tennis, and so many others.
Let’s Check out the List of Major Sports Awards in India
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award:
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna is the highest rank National Sports Award in India and started in the year 1991, this award is conferred in the memory of Late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. This award is presented by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to the players for their extraordinary performance in sports in India. During the period in 2004, the recipients of this award were given a cash prize of INR 5 Lakhs and this is increased to INR 25 Lakhs. Not only the cash, but the recipients of this award also get a letter of appreciation along with a medal. The main motto behind this award to encourage the Indian youth towards the games and sports and enhance the confidence of the players.
Vishwanathan Anand is the first recipient of the award in 1991-1992.
In the year 1994-1995, Karnam Malleswari was the first woman who had been awarded Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna for weightlifting
| Year | Life Time Recipient(s) | Sport |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Rohit Sharma | Cricket |
| 2020 | Mariyappan Thangavelu | Paralympic high jump |
| 2020 | Manika Batra | Table Tennis |
| 2020 | Vinesh Phogat | Wrestling |
| 2020 | Rani Rampal | Hockey (Women) |
| 2019 | Deepa Malik | Paralympic (shot put, javelin, others) |
| 2019 | Bajrang Punia | Wrestling |
| 2018 | Saikhom Mirabai Chanu | Weightlifting |
| 2018 | Virat Kohli | Cricket |
| 2017 | Devendra Jhajharia | Paralympic javelin |
| 2017 | Sardara Singh | Hockey (Men) |
| 2016 | P. V. Sindhu | Badminton |
| 2016 | Dipa Karmakar | Gymnastics |
| 2016 | Jitu Rai | Shooting |
| 2016 | Sakshi Malik | Wrestling |
| 2015 | Sania Mirza | Tennis |
| 2014 | No award | |
| 2013 | Ronjan Sodhi | Shooting |
| 2012 | Vijay Kumar | Shooting |
| 2012 | Yogeshwar Dutt | Wrestling |
| 2011 | Gagan Narang | Shooting |
| 2010 | Saina Nehwal | Badminton |
| 2009 | Mary Kom | Boxing (Women) |
| 2009 | Vijender Singh | Boxing |
| 2009 | Sushil Kumar | Wrestling |
| 2008 | No award | |
| 2007 | Mahendra Singh Dhoni | Cricket |
| 2006 | Manavjit Singh Sandhu | Shooting |
| 2005 | Pankaj Advani | Billiards and Snooker |
| 2004 | Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore | Shooting |
| 2003 | Anju Bobby George | Athletics |
| 2002 | K. M. Beenamol | Athletics |
| 2002 | Anjali Bhagwat | Shooting |
| 2001 | Abhinav Bindra | Shooting |
| 2000 | Pullela Gopichand | Badminton |
| 1999 | Dhanraj Pillay | Hockey (Men) |
| 1998 | Jyotirmoyee Sikdar | Athletics |
| 1997 | Sachin Tendulkar | Cricket |
| 1996 | Leander Paes | Tennis |
| 1995 | Nameirakpam Kunjarani | Weightlifting |
| 1994 | Karnam Malleswari | Weightlifting |
| 1993 | Homi Motivala | Yachting (Team event) |
| 1993 | Pushpendra Kumar Garg | Yachting (Team event) |
| 1992 | Geet Sethi | Billiards |
| 1991-1992 | Viswanathan Anand | Chess |
Note: Table data sourced from wikipedia.org
Arjuna Awards
Arjuna Award is the oldest National Sports award in India which was introduced in the year 1961 and presented to the players who displayed consistent and outstanding for 4 years in national and international games like Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and Olympics by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Cash of INR 15 Lakhs and bronze medal is given to recipients of the Arjuna Award.
In 1961, LB D’souza (Boxing), Manuel Aaron (Chess), Nandu Natekar (Badminton), Sarabjeet Singh (Basketball), Saleem Durrani (Cricket), Gurucharan Singh Randhawa (Athletics) was the first six players who had been awarded Arjuna Award.
Meena Shah (Badminton) was the first woman who got this award and Krishna Das was the first recipient of the Arjuna Award in the field of Archery.
| Year | Recipient Names | Sport |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Sawant Ajay Anant | Equestrian |
| 2020 | Aditi Ashok | Golf |
| 2020 | Rahul Aware | Wrestling |
| 2020 | Manu Bhaker | Shooting |
| 2020 | Dattu Baban Bhokanal | Rowing |
| 2020 | Vishesh Bhriguvanshi | Basketball |
| 2020 | Lovlina Borgohain | Boxing |
| 2020 | Dutee Chand | Athletics |
| 2020 | Saurabh Chaudhary | Shooting |
| 2020 | Sandeep Choudhary | Athletics§ |
| 2020 | Atanu Das | Archery |
| 2020 | Deepak Niwas Hooda | Kabaddi |
| 2020 | Suyash Narayan Jadhav | Swimming§ |
| 2020 | Sandesh Jhingan | Football |
| 2020 | Divya Kakran | Wrestling |
| 2020 | Manish Kaushik | Boxing |
| 2020 | Shiva Keshavan | Winter Sports |
| 2020 | Manish Narwal | Shooting§ |
| 2020 | Madhurika Patkar | Table Tennis |
| 2020 | Satwiksairaj Rankireddy | Badminton |
| 2020 | Divij Sharan | Lawn Tennis |
| 2020 | Deepti Sharma | Cricket |
| 2020 | Ishant Sharma | Cricket |
| 2020 | Chirag Shetty | Badminton |
| 2020 | Akashdeep Singh | Hockey |
| 2020 | Kale Sarika Sudhakar | Kho Kho |
| 2020 | Deepika Thakur | Hockey |
Note: Table data sourced from wikipedia.org
Dronacharya Awards:
The award is named after “Dronacharya”, a famous guru who trained the Pandavas dating back to the times of the Mahabharata. All the recipients of the Dronacharya award are given a statue of Dronacharya, a ceremonial dress, and an appraisal certificate along with a cash prize of INR 15 lakh. This award is usually provided to the coaches who have produced winners at national and international sports events.
Om Prakash Bhardwaj (Boxing), O. M. Nambiar (Athletics), and Bhalachandra Bhaskar Bhagwat (Wrestling) were the first recipients who had been honored in 1985.
| Year | Life Time Recipient(s) | Sport |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Dharmendra Tiwary | Archery |
| 2020 | Purushotham Rai | Athletics |
| 2020 | Shiv Singh | Boxing |
| 2020 | Romesh Pathania | Hockey |
| 2020 | Krishan Kumar Hooda | Kabaddi |
| 2020 | Vijay Bhalchandra Munishwar | Powerlifting§ |
| 2020 | Naresh Kumar | Tennis |
| 2020 | Om Parkash Dahiya | Wrestling |
| 2019 | Rambir Singh Khokar | Kabaddi |
| 2019 | Sanjay Bhardwaj | Cricket |
| 2019 | Merzban Patel | Hockey |
| 2018 | Clarence Lobo | Hockey |
| 2018 | Tarak Sinha | Cricket |
| 2018 | Jiwan Kumar Sharma | Judo |
| 2018 | V. R. Beedu | Athletics |
| 2017 | G. S. S. V. Prasad | Badminton |
| 2017 | Brij Bhushan Mohanty | Boxing |
| 2017 | P. A. Raphel | Hockey |
| 2017 | Sanjoy Chakraverty | Shooting |
| 2017 | Roshan Lal | Wrestling |
| 2016 | S. Pradeep Kumar | Swimming |
| 2016 | Mahavir Singh Phogat | Wrestling |
| 2015 | Nihar Ameen | Swimming |
| 2015 | Harbans Singh | Athletics |
| 2015 | Swatantar Raj Singh | Boxing |
| 2014 | Gurcharan Gogi | Judo |
| 2014 | Jose Jacob | Rowing |
| 2014 | N. Lingappa | Athletics |
| 2014 | Ganapathy Manoharan | Boxing |
| 2013 | Raj Singh | Wrestling |
| 2013 | K. P. Thomas | Athletics |
| 2012 | Jasvinder Singh Bhatia | Athletics |
| 2012 | Bhawani Mukherjee | Table Tennis |
| 2011 | Kuntal Kumar Roy | Athletics |
| 2011 | Rajinder Singh Jr. | Hockey |
Note: Table data sourced from wikipedia.org
Dhyanchand Awards:
This award is named after Major Dhyanchand who was not only a good soldier but he was a great hockey player and also known as a gold man who scored more than 1000 goals in his career of 20 years. This award was introduced in the year 2002 and conferred annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Dhyanchand Award is the highest award for lifetime achievement in the field of sports. This award is given on the basis of the individual contribution to sports both before and after retirement. Cash prize of INR 10 lakhs along with a medal and certificate are given to the Dhyanchand awardees.
| Year | Recipient Names | Sport |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Kuldip Singh Bhullar | Athletics |
| 2020 | Jincy Philips | Athletics |
| 2020 | Pradeep Shrikrishna Gandhe | Badminton |
| 2020 | Trupti Murgunde | Badminton |
| 2020 | N. Usha | Boxing |
| 2020 | Lakha Singh | Boxing |
| 2020 | Sukhvinder Singh Sandhu | Football |
| 2020 | Ajit Pal Singh | Hockey |
| 2020 | Manpreet Singh | Kabaddi |
| 2020 | J. Ranjith Kumar | Para Athletics |
| 2020 | Satyaprakash Tiwari | Para Badminton |
| 2020 | Manjeet Singh | Rowing |
| 2020 | Sachin Nag | Swimming |
| 2020 | Nandan P. Bal | Tennis |
| 2020 | Netarpal Hooda | Wrestling |
| 2019 | Manuel Frederick | Hockey |
| 2019 | Arup Basak | Table Tennis |
| 2019 | Manoj Kumar | Wrestling |
| 2019 | Nitin Kirtane | Tennis |
| 2019 | C. Lalremsanga | Archery |
| 2018 | Satyadev Prasad | Archery |
| 2018 | Bharat Chettri | Hockey |
| 2018 | Bobby Aloysius | Athletics |
| 2018 | Dadu Dattatray Chougale | Wrestling |
| 2017 | Bhupender Singh | Athletics |
| 2017 | Syed Shahid Hakim | Football |
| 2017 | Sumrai Tete | Hockey |
| 2016 | Sylvanus Dung Dung | Hockey |
| 2016 | Sathi Geetha | Athletics |
| 2016 | Rajendra Pralhad Shelke | Rowing |
| 2015 | Romeo James | Hockey |
| 2015 | Shiv Prakash Mishra | Tennis |
| 2015 | T. P. Padmanabhan Nair | Volleyball |
| 2014 | Zeeshan Ali | Tennis |
| 2014 | Gurmail Singh | Hockey |
| 2014 | K. P. Thakkar | Swimming |
| 2013 | Syed Ali | Hockey |
| 2013 | Anil Mann | Wrestling |
| 2013 | Mary D’Souza Sequeira | Athletics |
| 2013 | Girraj Singh | Athletics (Parasports) |
| 2012 | Gundeep Kumar | Hockey |
| 2012 | Vinod Kumar | Wrestling |
| 2012 | Jagraj Singh Mann | Athletics |
| 2012 | Sukhbir Singh Tokas | Para-Sports |
| 2011 | Shabbir Ali | Football |
| 2011 | Sushil Kohli | Swimming |
| 2011 | Rajkumar Baisla | Wrestling |
| 2010 | Anita Chanu | Weightlifting |
| 2010 | Satish Pillai | Athletics |
| 2010 | Kuldeep Singh | Wrestling |
| 2009 | Satbir Singh Dahiya | Wrestling |
| 2009 | Ishar Singh Deol | Athletics |
| 2008 | Gian Singh | Wrestling |
| 2008 | Hakam Singh | Athletics |
| 2008 | Mukhbain Singh | Hockey |
| 2007 | Rajinder Singh | Wrestling |
| 2007 | Shamsher Singh | Kabaddi |
| 2007 | Varinder Singh | Hockey |
| 2006 | Harishchandra Birajdar | Wrestling |
| 2006 | Uday K. Prabhu | Athletics |
| 2006 | Nandy Singh | Hockey |
| 2005 | Maruti Mane | Wrestling |
| 2005 | Manoj Kumar Kothari | Billiards & Snooker |
| 2005 | Rajinder Singh | Hockey |
| 2004 | Digamber Mehendale | Athletics (Physically challenged) |
| 2004 | Hardayal Singh | Hockey |
| 2004 | Labh Singh | Athletics |
| 2003 | Charles Cornelius | Hockey |
| 2003 | Ram Kumar | Basketball |
| 2003 | Dharam Singh | Hockey |
| 2003 | Om Prakash | Volleyball |
| 2003 | Smita Shirole Yadav | Rowing |
| 2002 | Shahuraj Birajdar | Boxing |
| 2002 | Ashok Diwan | Hockey |
| 2002 | Aparna Ghosh | Basketball |
Note: Table data sourced from wikipedia.org
Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar:
Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar is given to both private and public organizations and individuals for “playing a visible role in the field of sports and games promotion and development” over the period of the last 3 years. Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruska was instituted in the year 2009.
| Year | Category | Organization |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Employment of Sportspersons and Sports Welfare Measures | Air Force Sports Control Board |
| 2020 | Encouragement to Sports through Corporate Social Responsibility | Oil and Natural Gas Corporation |
| 2020 | Identification and Nurturing of Budding and Young Talent | Army Sports Institute |
| 2020 | Identification and Nurturing of Budding and Young Talent | Lakshya Institute |
| 2020 | Sports for Development | International Institute of Sports Management |
| 2019 | Identification and Nurturing of Budding and Young Talent | Gagan Narang Sports Promotion Foundation |
| 2019 | Identification and Nurturing of Budding and Young Talent | GoSports Foundation |
| 2019 | Sports for Development | Rayalaseema Development Trust |
| 2018 | Encouragement to Sports through Corporate Social Responsibility | JSW Sports |
| 2018 | Identification and Nurturing of Budding and Young Talent | Rashtriya Ispat Nigam |
| 2018 | Sports for Development | Isha Outreach |
| 2017 | Encouragement to Sports through Corporate Social Responsibility | Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation |
| 2017 | Identification and Nurturing of Budding and Young Talent | Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan |
| 2017 | Sports for Development | Reliance Foundation |
| 2017 | Sports for Development | The Golf Foundation |
| 2016 | Employment of Sportspersons and Sports Welfare Measures | Reserve Bank of India |
| 2016 | Encouragement to Sports through Corporate Social Responsibility | India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd |
| 2016 | Identification and Nurturing of Budding and Young Talent | Dadar Parsee Zorostrian Cricket Club |
| 2016 | Identification and Nurturing of Budding and Young Talent | Hockey Citizen Group |
| 2016 | Identification and Nurturing of Budding and Young Talent | STAIRS[a] |
| 2016 | Identification and Nurturing of Budding and Young Talent | Usha School Of Athletics |
| 2016 | Sports for Development | Subroto Mukerjee Sports Education Society |
| 2015 | Employment of Sportspersons and Sports Welfare Measures | Haryana Police |
| 2015 | Encouragement to Sports through Corporate Social Responsibility | Coal India |
| 2015 | Identification and Nurturing of Budding and Young Talent | Directorate General of Military Training |
| 2015 | Sports for Development | Sports Coaching Foundation |
| 2014 | Employment of Sportspersons and Sports Welfare Measures | Oil and Natural Gas Corporation |
| 2014 | Establishment and Management of Sports Academies of Excellence | Guru Hanuman Akhara |
| 2014 | Identification and Nurturing of Budding and Young Talent | JSW Steel Ltd |
| 2014 | Sports for Development | Magic Bus India Foundation |
| 2013 | Employment of Sportspersons and Sports Welfare Measures | Petroleum Sports Promotion Board |
| 2013 | Establishment and Management of Sports Academies of Excellence | Gopichand Badminton Academy |
| 2013 | Financial Support for Sports Excellence | Services Sports Control Board |
| 2013 | Identification and Nurturing of Budding and Young Talent | U. K. Mishra |
| 2012 | Employment of Sportspersons and Sports Welfare Measures | Air India Sports Promotion Board |
| 2012 | Establishment and Management of Sports Academies of Excellence | Services Sports Control Board |
| 2012 | Financial Support for Sports Excellence | Railways Sports Promotion Board |
| 2012 | Identification and Nurturing of Budding and Young Talent | Steel Authority of India |
| 2011 | Establishment and Management of Sports Academies of Excellence | Narayana Ramachandran |
| 2011 | Financial Support for Sports Excellence | Petroleum Sports Promotion Board |
| 2010 | Employment of Sportspersons and Sports Welfare Measures | Services Sports Control Board |
| 2010 | Establishment and Management of Sports Academies of Excellence | Khel Evam Yuva Kalyan Vibhag |
| 2010 | Financial Support for Sports Excellence | Tata Steel |
| 2010 | Identification and Nurturing of Budding and Young Talent | Services Sports Control Board |
| 2009 | Employment of Sportspersons and Sports Welfare Measures | Railways Sports Promotion Board |
| 2009 | Establishment and Management of Sports Academies of Excellence | Tata Steel |
| 2009 | Identification and Nurturing of Budding and Young Talent | Tata Steel |
Note: Table data sourced from wikipedia.org
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy is given to the university for “outstanding performance in the inter-university tournaments” over the period of the last 1 year. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy was instituted in the year 1956-57.
| Year | University |
|---|---|
| 2020 | Panjab University |
| 2019 | Panjab University |
| 2017-2018 | Guru Nanak Dev University |
| 2016-2017 | Punjabi University |
| 2015-2016 | Punjabi University |
| 2014-2015 | Punjabi University |
| 2013-2014 | Punjabi University |
| 2012-2013 | Punjabi University |
| 2011-2012 | Punjabi University |
| 2010-2011 | Guru Nanak Dev University |
| 2009-2010 | Guru Nanak Dev University |
| 2008-2009 | Punjabi University |
| 2007-2008 | Punjabi University |
| 2006-2007 | Punjabi University |
| 2005-2006 | Guru Nanak Dev University |
| 2004-2005 | Panjab University |
| 2003-2004 | Guru Nanak Dev University |
| 2002-2003 | Guru Nanak Dev University |
| 2001-2002 | Guru Nanak Dev University |
| 2000-2001 | Delhi University |
| 1999-2000 | Guru Nanak Dev University |
| 1998-1999 | Guru Nanak Dev University |
| 1997-1998 | Guru Nanak Dev University |
| 1996-1997 | Guru Nanak Dev University |
| 1995-1996 | Panjab University |
| 1994-1995 | Panjab University |
| 1993-1994 | Guru Nanak Dev University |
| 1992-1993 | Guru Nanak Dev University |
| 1991-1992 | Guru Nanak Dev University |
| 1990-1991 | Delhi University |
| 1989-1990 | Delhi University |
| 1988-1989 | Delhi University |
| 1987-1988 | Delhi University |
| 1986-1987 | Guru Nanak Dev University |
| 1985-1986 | Bombay University |
| 1984-1985 | Guru Nanak Dev University |
| 1983-1984 | Guru Nanak Dev University |
| 1981-1982 | Guru Nanak Dev University |
| 1980-1981 | Guru Nanak Dev University |
| 1979-1980 | Guru Nanak Dev University |
| 1978-1979 | Guru Nanak Dev University |
| 1977-1978 | Delhi University |
| 1976-1977 | Guru Nanak Dev University |
| 1975-1976 | Delhi University |
| 1974-1975 | Delhi University |
| 1973-1974 | Delhi University |
| 1972-1973 | Delhi University |
| 1971-1972 | Panjab University |
| 1971-1972 | Delhi University |
| 1970-1971 | Panjab University |
| 1969-1970 | Panjab University |
| 1968-1969 | Panjab University |
| 1967-1968 | Panjab University |
| 1966-1967 | Kurukshetra University |
| 1965-1966 | Panjab University |
| 1964-1965 | Delhi University |
| 1963-1964 | Delhi University |
| 1962-1963 | Delhi University |
| 1961-1962 | Panjab University |
| 1960-1961 | Panjab University |
| 1959-1960 | Bombay University |
| 1958-1959 | Panjab University |
| 1957-1958 | Panjab University |
| 1956-1957 | Bombay University |
Note: Table data sourced from wikipedia.org
Conclusions
Receiving these awards from the Indian government not only boosts the confidence and morale of the youth but also provides them the momentum to perform outstandingly in sports. No doubt monetary benefits are less but the respect, pride and honor which come along with the awards are absolutely incalculable.
