2 weeks ago
No Khel Ratna Award 2025; 17 Athletes Get Arjuna Nominations
Every year, India gives special prizes to its best sportspersons.
The biggest prize is called the Khel Ratna Award, named after a famous hockey player named Major Dhyan Chand.
This year, nobody won that big prize — it was left empty.
Instead, 17 sportspersons were chosen for another nice award called the Arjuna Award.
Three coaches also got the Dronacharya Award for helping athletes become champions.
Important people, led by a former Supreme Court judge, decided who should get these prizes.
One former winner named Ronjan Sodhi said India must start finding young sports talent now.
He said the 2036 Olympics are only 10 years away.
Finding champions early helps India shine at the Olympics.
That is why he thinks India should act before it is too late.
The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, India's highest sporting honour, was left vacant for 2025.
Seventeen sportspersons were nominated for the Arjuna Award.
The awards followed recommendations from a selection committee chaired by former Supreme Court judge Justice (Retd.) Arun Kumar Mishra.
Athletics coach Parveer Singh, boxing coach Chhote Lal Yadav, and shooting coach Neha Nandkumar Chavan were selected for the Dronacharya Award.
Khel Ratna awardee Ronjan Sodhi said India is 'already late' and must identify sporting talent now with the 2036 Olympics in mind.
- Who
- India's Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, acting on recommendations from a selection committee chaired by former Supreme Court judge Justice (Retd.) Arun Kumar Mishra.
- What
- The National Sports Awards for 2025 were announced, with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna left vacant, 17 sportspersons nominated for the Arjuna Award, and three coaches selected for the Dronacharya Award.
- Where
- India, via a PIB release from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
- When
- Announced on Tuesday; the awards were for the year 2025.
- Why
- To recognise outstanding sporting performance and coaching, while Ronjan Sodhi highlighted the need to begin talent identification early ahead of the 2036 Olympics.
Key facts
- Khel Ratna 2025
- Left vacant
- Arjuna Award nominees
- 17 sportspersons
- Dronacharya Award recipients
- Parveer Singh, Chhote Lal Yadav, Neha Nandkumar Chavan
- Selection committee chair
- Justice (Retd.) Arun Kumar Mishra
- Announcing body
- Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
- 2024 Khel Ratna recipients
- Gukesh Dommaraju, Harmanpreet Singh, Praveen Kumar, Manu Bhaker
- Arjuna Award criterion
- Outstanding performance over previous four years plus leadership, sportsmanship, and discipline
- Ronjan Sodhi's warning
- "In fact, we are late... 2036 is 10 years from now."
Quotes
Ronjan Sodhi
Former Khel Ratna awardee and senior shooter
“In fact, we are late... 2036 is 10 years from now. So, we need to identify talent now. We need programmes wherein the government or the federation engage senior shooters or people who can go and do some scouting and identify talent in schools.”
telegraphindia.com








