Archive · 28 Aug 2026
Baghpat Villages Produce Seven Arjuna Awardees Despite Gaps
Baghpat is a district where many villages have helped produce successful athletes.
Seven athletes from the district have received the Arjuna Award.
They competed in wrestling, shooting and para-athletics.
Many began training in village facilities and were encouraged by their families.
Some later moved to Delhi or other places for better coaches, equipment and competitions.
Former athletes have returned to build academies and shooting ranges for children.
Officials say Baghpat now has more stadiums and sports facilities than before.
The athletes say the district still needs better mats, equipment, gyms and specialised coaching.
Baghpat has produced seven Arjuna Award recipients, beginning with wrestler Subhash Verma in 1987.
The awardees include four wrestlers, two shooters and one para-athlete, with shooter Akhil Sheoran the latest honouree.
Athletes say local facilities, coaching, equipment and high-level competition remain less developed than in Delhi and nearby states.
Former champions have built academies and ranges, while Shokendra Tomar campaigned for a district stadium.
Officials say Baghpat’s sports infrastructure has improved and that new facilities and funding proposals are being pursued.
- Who
- Seven Arjuna Award-winning athletes from Baghpat, including Subhash Verma, Shokendra Tomar, Vivek Singh, Rajeev Tomar, Sunil Kumar Rana, Ankur Dhama and Akhil Sheoran.
- What
- A profile of how Baghpat’s village sporting culture produced seven Arjuna Awardees while athletes continue to face local infrastructure and coaching gaps.
- When
- Subhash Verma became the first Baghpat sportsperson to win the award in 1987; Akhil Sheoran was selected in the latest award cycle described.
- Where
- Baghpat district in Uttar Pradesh, with athletes also training or working in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and nearby areas.
- Why
- Sport is embedded in village and family life, but athletes often travel elsewhere for specialised coaching, equipment and high-level competition.
Athletes’ Concerns
Officials’ Position
Quality of local infrastructure
Athletes’ Concerns
Awardees say some facilities lack proper wrestling mats, halls, gyms, electronic targets and qualified coaches, leading athletes to train outside Baghpat.
Officials’ Position
District officials say sports infrastructure has improved significantly through stadiums, sports centres, playing fields and shooting ranges.
Need to leave Baghpat
Athletes’ Concerns
Athletes say Delhi and other regions offer better specialised coaching, equipment, training methods and competition opportunities.
Officials’ Position
District Magistrate Asmita Lal says athletes may leave to work with particular coaches or seek specialised opportunities, while asserting that Baghpat already has good facilities.
Future development
Athletes’ Concerns
Former champions want authorities to consult experienced athletes and address pending needs such as wrestling facilities and advanced shooting equipment.
Officials’ Position
The district administration says it is prioritising sports, using MP and MLA funds, and has submitted proposals for additional facilities.
- Arjuna Awardees
- Seven sportspersons from Baghpat have received the Arjuna Award.
- First recipient
- Wrestler Subhash Verma became Baghpat’s first sportsperson to win the award in 1987.
- Latest recipient
- Shooter Akhil Sheoran was one of 17 sportspersons selected for the latest award cycle described.
- District facilities
- Baghpat has three stadiums, two of which are fully operational, along with academies, clubs and shooting ranges.
- Sunil Kumar Rana’s academy
- Rana’s village wrestling academy has around 100 students aged eight to 21.
- Akhil Sheoran’s early obstacle
- Before obtaining his own rifle in 2011, Sheoran had to rely on a school rifle shared by several aspiring shooters.
- Stadium campaign
- Shokendra Tomar offered to auction his medals and awards in 2008 to raise money for wrestling mats and stadium land.