India's National Sports Awards
India's National sports awards
National sports awards are honors bestowed upon outstanding athletes and coaches or organisations for their achievements and contribution towards the growth of Indian sports. The awards are given by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, and are intended to recognize and reward exceptional achievements in the field of sports. There are several categories of awards that are given out each year,on India's National Sports Day - August 29- which marks the birthday of Indian hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand.
Here the name of National sports awards and the categories:
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Khel Ratna Award: This is the highest sporting honor in India, and is given to athletes who have achieved outstanding performance in the field of sports over a period of four years.
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Arjuna Award: This award is given to athletes who have consistently performed well in their respective sports over a period of four years.
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Dronacharya Award: This award is given to coaches who have produced outstanding athletes at the national and international levels.
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Dhyan Chand Award: This award is given to retired athletes who have made significant contributions to sports even after their retirement.
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Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar: This award is given to recognize the contributions made towards the development of sports in India in various categories such as identification and nurturing of young talent, sports for development, financial support, and sports excellence at the national level.
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Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy: This is an annual award given to the overall top-performing university in sports.
Khel Ratna Award:
India's highest sporting honor , and is given to athletes who have achieved outstanding performance in the field of sports over a period of four years and winners get a medallion, a certificate and a cash prize of ₹ 25 lakh.. The Khel Ratna Award was stablished in 1991-92 as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award before it was renamed to Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021.
Recipients of The Khel Ratna Award- Vishwanathan Anand (1991-92) was the India's first-ever Khel Ratna winner. Sachin Tendulkar, MC Mary Kom,Saina Nehwal, Vijendra Singh, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are the other winners.
Arjuna Award:
The award is named after the mythological hero Arjuna and is given annually to recognize outstanding achievements of sportspersons in various disciplines. Arjuna Award was set up in 1961. The Arjuna Award is one of the most prestigious sports awards in India, conferred by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India.
To be eligible for the award, an athlete must have consistently performed well at the international level for at least four years and shown exceptional skills, talent, and sportsmanship. The award consists of a bronze statuette of Arjuna, a scroll, and a cash prize of ₹15 lakh.
Recipients of Arjuna Award- Some of the notable recipients of the Arjuna Award include Milkha Singh, Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, P. T. Usha, Sania Mirza, Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal, Virat Kohli, and Rani Rampal,Manuel Aaron, Baichung Bhutia, P.V. Sindhu, Aditi Ashok and Avinav Bindra etc.
The Dronacharya Award
The Dronacharya Award instituted in 1985 is an Indian sporting honor for coaches who have produced outstanding athletes at the national and international levels.It is named after Dronacharya, a character from the Hindu epic Mahabharata, who was a skilled warrior and renowned teacher. The award is presented by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India.
To be eligible for the award, a coach must have consistently produced excellent athletes over a period of four years and shown exceptional skills, dedication, and sportsmanship. The award consists of a bronze statuette of Dronacharya, a scroll of honor, and a cash prize of ₹15 lakh.
Recipients of The Dronacharya Award
First woman to win the Dronacharya award was athletics coach Renu Kohli in 2002. Bhalchandra Bhaskar Bhagwat(Wrestling), OM Prakash Bharadwaj(Boxing), OM Nambiar(Athletics), Pullela Gopichand (badminton), Satpal Singh (wrestling), G. S. Sandhu (boxing) and Vimal Kumar (badminton).
The award is given in three categories: Lifetime Achievement, for sportspersons who have made exceptional contributions to sports, Distinguished Sportsperson, for outstanding athletes who have excelled in their respective sports, and Sports Coach, for exceptional coaches who have produced outstanding athletes.
The winners of the Dhyan Chand Award receive a medal, a certificate of honor, and a cash prize of ₹5 lakh.
Recipients of the Dhyan Chand Award
Aparna Ghosh an accomplished player and coach were the first recepient of the Major Dhyan Chand Award(Basketball), Balbir Singh Sr. (hockey), Prakash Padukone (badminton), Shabbir Ali (football), P. Gopichand (badminton), S. M. Arif (boxing), and Chuni Goswami (football) etc.
The Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar
The award was instituted in 2009 to recognize the efforts of individuals, organizations, and institutions who have worked towards the development of sports in India.The Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar is a sporting honor given by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, to recognize contributions made towards the development of sports in India.
The award is given in four categories:
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Identification and nurturing of young talent: This category recognizes the efforts made by individuals or organizations in identifying and nurturing young talent in any sport.
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Sports for Development: This category recognizes the efforts of individuals or organizations in promoting sports for development and social welfare.
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Financial Support: This category recognizes the efforts of corporates, organizations or individuals who have provided financial support to promote sports in India.
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Sports excellence at the national level: This category recognizes the efforts of individuals or organizations who have helped athletes to achieve excellence in sports at the national level.
The winners of the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar receive a trophy, a certificate.
The recipients of the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar
The Indian Railways (for identifying and nurturing young talent), Go Sports Foundation (for promoting sports for development), Jindal Steel & Power Ltd (for providing financial support), and Reliance Foundation (for promoting sports excellence at the national level).
The Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy
The Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy is the most prestigious award for sports in the Indian university sports circuit. The award is named after Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, an Indian scholar, and educationist who was India's first Minister of Education.The MAKA Trophy was instituted in 1956-57 and is presented annually to the university that has shown the best all-round performance in sports, including both individual and team events.
The selection criteria for the award include the quality and depth of participation of the university in various sports events, the quality of sports infrastructure and facilities, and the performance of the university in national and international sports competitions.The winning university is awarded a trophy, a certificate of merit, and a cash prize of ₹10 lakh. The runner-up university also receives a trophy and a cash prize of ₹5 lakh.
Recipients of The Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy
Universities to have won the MAKA Trophy include the University of Delhi, The Gurunanak Dev University from Amritsar Punjab, and the University of Madras.
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