Major Sports Awards in India – An Introduction –
There is an old saying, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”, which essentially emphasizes the importance of sports in a person’s life. All of us may have played some sport or the other, and you would agree that winning and losing is a part of every sport or game. When you win a game, you are declared a winner and you are given a token of appreciation – often called as an award.
What are the most important awards given for excellence in sports? We will find answers to this question in this article. The most popular awards in the sports field are Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award, Dronacharya Award, and Dyanchand Award. The government of India confers these awards to a selected few who have met the criteria laid down for winning these awards. Let’s delve into each of these prestigious awards.
Sports Awards in India – Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna –
- The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna is the highest sports award given for most outstanding performance in the field of sports in India.
- As of 2018, all Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna recipients will receive Rs. 7.5 lakhs in cash, a citation and a medal.
- Initially, the government of India gave this award for outstanding performance in the field of sports for one year, but this duration was changed to four years in the year 2015.
- The government of India forms a committee of 12 members who evaluate the performance of a sportsperson.
- The evaluation is done for various international sporting events such as Olympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and Paralympic Games.
- Once the committee arrives at a decision, they submit their recommendation to the Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports for further approval.
Winners of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awards –
| Year | Name | Category |
| 1991-92 | Viswanathan Anand | Chess |
| 1992-93 | Geet Sethi | Billiards |
| 1994-95 | Cdr. Homi D. Motivala | Yachting |
| Lt. Cdr. P. K. Garg | ||
| 1995-96 | Karnam Malleswari | Weightlifting |
| 1996-97
|
Nameirakpam Kunjarani | Weightlifting |
| Leander Paes | Tennis | |
| 1997-98 | Sachin Tendulkar | Cricket |
| 1998-99 | Jyotirmoyee Sikdar | Athletics |
| 1999- 2000 | Dhanraj Pillay | Hockey |
| 2000-01 | Pullela Gopichand | Badminton |
| 2001-02 | Abhinav Bindra | Shooting |
| 2002-03 | Anjali Ved Pathak Bhagwat | Shooting |
| K. M. Beenamo | Athletics | |
| 2003-04 | Anju Bobby George | Athletics |
| 2004-05 | Lt. co. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore | Shooting |
| 2005-06 | Pankaj Advani | Billiards & Snooker |
| 2006-07 | Manavjit Singh Sandhu | Shooting |
| 2007-08 | Mahendra Singh Dhoni | Cricket |
| 2008-09 | Mary Kom | Boxing |
| Vijender Singh | Boxing | |
| Sushil Kumar | Wrestling | |
| 2009-10 | Saina Nehwal | Badminton |
| 2010-11 | Gagan Narang | Shooting |
| 2011-12 | Vijay Kumar | Shooting |
| Yogeshwar Dutt | Wrestling | |
| 2012-13 | Ronjan Sodhi | Shooting |
| 2014-15 | Sania Mirza | Tennis |
| 2015-16
|
P. V. Sindhu | Badminton |
| Sakshi Malik | Wrestling | |
| Dipa Karmakar | Gymnastics | |
| Jitu Rai | Shooting | |
| 2016-17 | Devendra Jhajharia | Para Athlete |
| Sardara Singh | Hockey | |
| 2017-18 | Virat Kohli | Cricket |
| Mirabai Chanu | Weightlifting |
Sports Awards in India – Arjuna Award –
- This award is given to a sportsperson who has consistently exhibited outstanding performance for four years.
- All Arjuna Awardees receive a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakhs, a certificate, and statuettes.
Winners of Arjuna Awards 2018 –
| S. No. | Name of the Sportsperson | Discipline |
| 1. | Shri Neeraj Chopra | Athletics |
| 2. | Naib Subedar Jinson Johnson | Athletics |
| 3. | Ms. Hima Das | Athletics |
| 4. | Ms. Nelakurthi Sikki Reddy | Badminton |
| 5. | Subedar Satish Kumar | Boxing |
| 6. | Ms. Smriti Mandhana | Cricket |
| 7. | Shri Shubhankar Sharma | Golf |
| 8. | Shri Manpreet Singh | Hockey |
| 9. | Ms. Savita | Hockey |
| 10. | Col. Ravi Rathore | Polo |
| 11. | Ms. Rahi Sarnobat | Shooting |
| 12. | Shri Ankur Mittal | Shooting |
| 13. | Ms. Shreyasi Singh | Shooting |
| 14. | Ms. Manika Batra | Table Tennis |
| 15. | Shri G. Sathiyan | Table Tennis |
| 16. | Shri Rohan Bopanna | Tennis |
| 17. | Shri Sumit | Wrestling |
| 18. | Ms. Pooja Kadian | Wushu |
| 19. | Shri Ankur Dhama | Para-Athletics |
| 20. | Shri Manoj Sarkar | Para-Badminton |
Winners of Arjuna Awards 2017 –
| Name of the Awardees | Discipline |
| Ms. V.J. Surekha | Archery |
| Ms. Khushbir Kaur | Athletics |
| Mr. Arokia Rajiv | Athletics |
| Ms. Prasanthi Singh | Basketball |
| Sub. Laishram Debendro Singh | Boxing |
| Mr. Cheteshwar Pujara | Cricket |
| Ms. Harmanpreet Kaur | Cricket |
| Ms. OinamBembem Devi | Football |
| Mr. S.S.P. Chawrasia | Golf |
| Mr. S.V. Sunil | Hockey |
| Mr. Jasvir Singh | Kabaddi |
| Mr. P. N. Prakash | Shooting |
| Mr. A. Amalraj | Table Tennis |
| Mr. Saketh Myneni | Tennis |
| Mr. Satyawart Kadian | Wrestling |
| Mr. Mariyappan | Para-Athlete |
| Mr. Varun Singh Bhati | Para-Athlete |
Sports Awards in India – Dronacharya Award –
- It is generally said that “Behind every successful man there is a woman”, one can also say that, “Behind every successful sportsperson there is a coach” Seeing the valuable contribution that coaches have in the sports field, the government of India decided to honour the coaches as well.
- The Dronacharya Awardees are those who have produced medal winners at prestigious international sports events.
- Dronacharya Awardees are offered a cash prize of 5 lakh, certificate and statuette.
Winners of 2018 Dronacharya Award –
| S. No. | Name of the Coach | Discipline |
| 1. | Subedar Chenanda Achaiah Kuttappa | Boxing |
| 2. | Shri Vijay Sharma | Weightlifting |
| 3. | Shri A. Srinivasa Rao | Table Tennis |
| 4. | Shri Sukhdev Singh Pannu | Athletics |
| 5. | Shri Clarence Lobo | Hockey (Life Time) |
| 6. | Shri Tarak Sinha | Cricket (Life Time) |
| 7. | Shri Jiwan Kumar Sharma | Judo (Life Time) |
| 8. | Shri V.R. Beedu | Athletics (Life Time) |
Winners of Dronacharya Awards 2017 –
| Name of the Awardees | Discipline |
| Late Dr. R. Gandhi | Athletics |
| Mr. Heera Nand Kataria | Kabaddi |
| Mr. G.S.S.V. Prasad | Badminton (Lifetime) |
| Mr. Brij Bhushan Mohanty | Boxing (Lifetime) |
| Mr. P.A. Raphel | Hockey (Lifetime) |
| Mr. Sanjoy Chakraverthy | Shooting (Lifetime) |
| Mr. Roshan Lal | Wrestling (Lifetime) |
Sports Awards in India – Dyanchand Award –
- The Dyanchand Award is given for lifetime contribution to sports development.
- This award is named after Major Dhyan Chand, an Indian hockey player who scored over 1000 goals during a career span of over 20 years.
- Dyanchand Awardees are offered a cash prize of 5 lakh, certificate and statuette.
Winners of Dhyan Chand Awards 2018 –
| S. No. | Name of the Sportsperson | Discipline |
| 1. | Shri Satyadev Prasad | Archery |
| 2. | Shri Bharat Kumar Chetri | Hockey |
| 3. | Ms. Bobby Aloysius | Athletics |
| 4. | Shri Chougale Dadu Dattatray | Wrestling |
Winners of Dhyan Chand Awards 2017 –
| Name of the Awardees | Discipline |
| Mr. Bhupender Singh | Athletics |
| Mr. Syed Shahid Hakim | Football |
| Ms. Sumarai Tete | Hockey |
All the aforementioned awards are offered by the government of India and each one of these awards is a prestigious one. Awards such as Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna Awards, Dronacharya Awards, and Dyanchand Awards not only motivate the players and their coaches, but it also generates a sense of pride that they have achieved something that only a few have achieved. The monetary benefit may not be substantial, but the honour and pride that one gets cannot be fathomed at all.
On 25th September 2018, President Ram Nath Kovind presented the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award to Indian Cricket team captain Virat Kohli and Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu who won gold medal at Commonwealth Games 2018. These awards were given at a function in Rashtrapati Bhawan.
With such awards and recognition, sports in India has got an impetus, which will also motivate the younger generation to perform their best. Moreover, receiving these awards from the President of India also has a great impact.
