President Droupadi Murmu Presents 2026 Sports Awards at Rashtrapati Bhavan; 17 Athletes Receive Arjuna Awards

President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu presented the Sports Awards at a special ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, celebrating the achievements and contributions of India’s sporting talent. The awards recognise athletes and coaches who have made significant contributions to Indian sports through their performances, dedication and commitment.

The 2026 Arjuna Awards honoured 17 athletes across various sporting disciplines, including athletics, badminton, chess, hockey, kabaddi, shooting, boxing and rowing. The ceremony also recognised distinguished coaches through the Dronacharya Awards and acknowledged lifetime contributions to Indian sports.

2026 Arjuna Award Winners

A total of 17 sportspersons received the regular Arjuna Award for their achievements in their respective disciplines.

The awardees represent a diverse range of sports, reflecting India’s growing presence across international sporting competitions.

Athletics

• Tejaswin Shankar
• Muhammad Ajmal Variyathodi
• Priyanka Goswami

Badminton

• Treesa Jolly
• Gayatri Gopichand

Chess

• Vidit Santosh Gujarathi
• Divya Jitendra Deshmukh

Hockey

• Lalremsiami
• Rajkumar Pal

Kabaddi

• Surjeet
• Pooja

Shooting and Para-Shooting

• Akhil Sheoran – Shooting
• Dhanush Srikanth – Deaf Shooting
• Rudransh Khandelwal – Para-Shooting
• Ekta Bhyan – Para-Shooting

Other Sports

• Narender – Boxing
• Arvind Singh – Rowing

The recognition celebrates the athletes’ dedication, competitive achievements and contributions to their respective sporting disciplines.

Arjuna Award for Lifetime Achievement

Recognising an enduring contribution to Indian sports, Shri I. Arumainayagam was honoured with the Arjuna Award for Lifetime Achievement in Football.

The lifetime recognition acknowledges his contribution to the sport and his association with Indian football.

Dronacharya Awards: Recognising Outstanding Coaches

The Dronacharya Awards recognise the dedication and contribution of coaches who play an important role in developing sporting talent and preparing athletes for national and international competitions.

The following coaches were recognised with the Dronacharya Award:

• Parveer Singh
• Chhote Lal Yadav
• Neha Chavan

Dronacharya Award for Lifetime Achievement

The Dronacharya Award for Lifetime Achievement honoured two coaches for their contributions to Indian sports:

• Dharmendra Yadav
• Virender Kumar

Celebrating India’s Sporting Excellence

The Sports Awards ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan celebrates the achievements of India’s athletes and coaches, recognising the hard work, discipline and dedication behind sporting success.

From athletics and badminton to chess, hockey, kabaddi, shooting, boxing and rowing, the 2026 awardees represent the diversity of India’s sporting talent.

The recognition of experienced coaches alongside accomplished athletes also acknowledges the important role of coaching and mentorship in strengthening India’s sporting future.

As India continues to pursue greater achievements on the international sporting stage, these awards serve as recognition of the individuals contributing to the country’s sporting journey.