President Murmu Presents National Sports Awards 2025 to Winners

President Droupadi Murmu conferred the National Sports Awards at Rashtrapati Bhavan, recognizing India's leading athletes for their exceptional accomplishments. Among the awardees were double Olympic shooter Manu Bhaker, chess champion D. Gukesh, hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh, and Paralympic gold medalist Praveen.

On January 17, 2025, President Droupadi Murmu presented the prestigious National Sports Awards at a grand ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. The awards, including the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna and Arjuna Awards, celebrated India’s top athletes for their exceptional accomplishments. Among the honorees were double Olympic medalist shooter Manu Bhaker, chess prodigy and youngest World Chess Champion D. Gukesh, men's hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh, and Paralympic gold medalist high jumper Praveen Kumar. The event also highlighted the outstanding achievements of India's para-athletes, particularly their performance at the Paris Paralympics, where they brought home 29 medals, including 7 golds and 9 silvers. In addition to recognizing athletes, the ceremony also acknowledged the contributions of coaches and institutions that have supported their success.

Key Highlights of the Ceremony

Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Awards: India’s highest sporting honor.

Manu Bhaker (Shooting): Double Olympic medalist, honored for her remarkable achievements in shooting.
D. Gukesh (Chess): Youngest World Chess Champion, becoming the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to achieve this title.
Harmanpreet Singh (Hockey): Captain of the men’s hockey team, part of teams that secured Olympic bronze medals in Tokyo and Paris.
Praveen Kumar (Para-Athletics): Paralympic gold-winning high jumper, recognized for his exceptional achievements in para-athletics.

Arjuna Awards Recipients

32 athletes were honored, with 17 para-athletes recognized for their outstanding performance in the Paris Paralympics, where India won 29 medals.

Athletics

Jyothi Yarraji – Track and Field (Hurdles)
Annu Rani – Javelin Throw
Rakesh Kumar (Para-Athletics) – High Jump (Para-Sports)
Preeti Pal (Para-Athletics) – Sprint (Para-Sports)
Jeevanji Deepthi (Para-Athletics) – Long Jump (Para-Sports)
Ajeet Singh (Para-Athletics) – High Jump (Para-Sports)
Sachin Sarjerao Khilari (Para-Athletics) – Sprint (Para-Sports)
Dharambir (Para-Athletics) – Sprint (Para-Sports)
Pranav Soorma (Para-Athletics) – Sprint (Para-Sports)
H Hokato Sema (Para-Athletics) – Sprint (Para-Sports)

Boxing

Nitu – Boxing (Women’s Flyweight)
Saweety – Boxing (Women’s Light-Heavyweight)

Chess

Vantika Agrawal – Chess (Women’s Chess Grandmaster)

Hockey

Salima Tete – Field Hockey (Midfielder, Women’s Hockey Team)
Abhishek – Field Hockey (Defender, Men’s Hockey Team)
Sanjay – Field Hockey (Midfielder, Men’s Hockey Team)
Jarmanpreet Singh – Field Hockey (Defender, Men’s Hockey Team)
Sukhjeet Singh – Field Hockey (Midfielder, Men’s Hockey Team)

Para-Sports

Rakesh Kumar (Para-Archery) – Archery (Para-Sports)
Nitesh Kumar (Para-Badminton) – Badminton (Para-Sports)
Thulasimathi Murugesan (Para-Badminton) – Badminton (Para-Sports)
Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan (Para-Badminton) – Badminton (Para-Sports)
Manisha Ramadass (Para-Badminton) – Badminton (Para-Sports)
Kapil Parmar (Para-Judo) – Judo (Para-Sports)
Mona Agarwal (Para-Shooting) – Shooting (Para-Sports)
Rubina Francis (Para-Shooting) – Shooting (Para-Sports)

Shooting

Swapnil Suresh Kusale – Shooting (Men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions)
Sarabjot Singh – Shooting (Men’s 10m Air Pistol)

Squash

Abhay Singh – Squash (Men’s Singles)

Swimming

Sajan Prakash – Swimming (Men’s Butterfly)

Wrestling

Aman – Wrestling (Men’s Freestyle)

Lifetime Arjuna Award

Murlikant Rajaram Petkar: India’s first Paralympic gold medallist in swimming, received a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dronacharya Award

Coaches were recognized for their excellence in mentoring athletes, with notable winners including Deepali Deshpande (Shooting coach) and Armando Agnelo Colaco (Football coach).

Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar

Awarded to the Physical Education Foundation of India for promoting sports.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy

Awarded to top-performing universities in the Khelo India University Games: Chandigarh University, Lovely Professional University, and Guru Nanak Dev University.

Special Moments

A particularly touching moment was when Murlikant Petkar, the 80-year-old war hero and Paralympic gold medallist, received a Lifetime Arjuna Award.
Pranav Soorma, a wheelchair-bound athlete, was personally received by President Murmu.