National Sports Awards and Honours in India

National Sports Awards are conferred annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to recognize sports excellence, leadership, and lifetime achievements in India. The President of India presents these honours at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, traditionally on August 29 to mark National Sports Day—the birth anniversary of hockey player Major Dhyan Chand. The awards cover athletes, coaches, universities, and organizations contributing to sports development. A national selection committee appointed by the government evaluates performance over specified timeframes to decide the awardees.

Major Categories of National Sports Awards

Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award

• Instituted in 1991–92, this is the highest sporting honour in India.
• The award was formerly known as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award before its renaming in August 2021.
• It recognizes outstanding performance by a sportsperson over a four-year period at the international level.
• The award carries a medallion, a certificate, and a cash prize of ₹25 lakh.
• Chess Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand was the first recipient of this award in 1991–92.
• Shooter Abhinav Bindra became the youngest recipient of the Khel Ratna at the age of 18 in 2001.

Arjuna Award

• Instituted in 1961, the Arjuna Award is one of the oldest national sports awards in India.
• It honours consistent outstanding performance, leadership, sportsmanship, and discipline over a four-year period.
• The award includes a bronze statuette of Arjuna, a scroll, ceremonial dress, and a cash prize of ₹15 lakh.
• Olympic and Paralympic medalists receive automatic consideration for this award or the Khel Ratna.
• The first group of recipients in 1961 included PK Banerjee for football, C. P. Singh for volleyball, and Saleem Durani for cricket.

Dronacharya Award

• Instituted in 1985, this award honours coaches who produce medal winners at international sporting events.
• The award comprises a bronze statuette of Dronacharya, a certificate, ceremonial dress, and a cash prize of ₹15 lakh.
• It is divided into two categories: Regular Category for performance over four years and Lifetime Category for contributions over 20 years.
• Wrestling coach B. B. Bhagwat, boxing coach O. M. Nambiar, and athletics coach O. P. Bhardwaj were the inaugural awardees in 1985.

Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement

• Instituted in 2002, this award honors sportspersons who contributed to sports through their career and after retirement.
• It carries a statuette of Major Dhyan Chand, a certificate, ceremonial dress, and a cash prize of ₹10 lakh.
• Shahuraj Birajdar for boxing, Ashok Diwan for hockey, and Aparna Ghosh for basketball were the first recipients in 2002.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy

• Instituted in 1956–57, the MAKA Trophy is the oldest national sports award in India.
• It is a running trophy awarded to the university with the top performance in inter-university tournaments over the preceding year.
• The winning university receives the trophy and a cash award of ₹15 lakh for sports infrastructure development.
• The University of Mumbai was the first recipient in 1956–57.

Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar

• Instituted in 2009, this award recognizes corporate entities, sports control boards, and non-governmental organizations for sports promotion.
• It covers four categories: Identification and Nurturing of Budding Talent, Corporate Social Responsibility for Sports, Employment of Sportspersons and Sports Welfare, and Sports for Development.
• Recipients receive a trophy and a citation without a cash prize.

Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award

• Instituted in 1994, this award is presented alongside National Sports Awards to recognize high achievements in adventure sports.
• It covers four disciplines: Land Adventure, Air Adventure, Water Adventure, and Lifetime Achievement.
• Recipients receive a bronze statue, a certificate, and a cash prize of ₹15 lakh.

Comparison of Major Sports Awards

Selection Process and Evaluation Mechanism

Evaluation Weightage System

• Selection committees evaluate applicants based on international performance data spanning the preceding four years.
• 90% weightage is given to medals won in the Olympics, World Championships, Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games.
• 10% weightage is assigned by the committee for sportsmanship, leadership qualities, discipline, and profile of events.

Committee Structure

• The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports forms a 12-member evaluation committee.
• The committee is chaired by a retired Supreme Court or High Court Judge.
• Members include eminent sportspersons, sports journalists, and sports administrators.

Anti-Doping Regulations

• Candidates must pass anti-doping verification.
• Any athlete sanctioned or under investigation by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) or National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) is ineligible.

Important Key Facts and Trivia for Revision

• National Sports Day is celebrated on August 29 every year to mark the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand.
• Viswanathan Anand received the inaugural Khel Ratna award in 1991–92.
• Pankaj Advani is the only sportsperson to receive the Khel Ratna award in two different sports disciplines (Billiards and Snooker).
• Karnam Malleswari was the first Indian woman athlete to receive the Khel Ratna award in 1994–95.
• Abhinav Bindra remains the youngest recipient of the Khel Ratna award at 18 years of age.
• Cash prizes for sports awards were revised upward in 2020 by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy is the oldest national sports award, instituted in 1956–57.
• Panjab University, Chandigarh has won the MAKA Trophy the highest number of times.
• Arjuna Award cash prize was increased from ₹5 lakh to ₹15 lakh in the 2020 revision.
• Dronacharya Award was first conferred in 1985 on O. M. Nambiar (Athletics), O. P. Bhardwaj (Boxing), and B. B. Bhagwat (Wrestling).