Most important National Sports Awards in India

There are five different awards that make up the National Sports Awards. Athletes, coaches, and organisations receive them in recognition of their accomplishments and contributions to the growth of Indian sports. They are India’s most prestigious awards. They are considered the pinnacle of sporting honours in India. The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award,  the Arjuna Award, the Dronacharya Award, the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy and the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar are the core awards that makeup India’s National Sports Awards. 

India’s Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports awards the National Sports Awards every year. Nominated athletes are presented with their awards by India’s President at the Presidential Palace on India’s National Sports Day, August 29. National Sports Day falls on the birthday of Indian hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand.

Here is a closer look at each of the award 

Awards	Description
Dronacharya Award	The Dronacharya Award is India’s highest sports honor for coaches, and it was established in 1985. Individuals are recognized for producing medalists at prestigious international competitions. In the Mahabharata, Dronacharya or Drona served as Arjuna’s guru or coach. Renu Kohli, an athletics coach, was the first woman to win the Dronacharya award in 2002. Based on consistently outstanding and meritorious work that enabled athletes under their tutelage to excel in international events over a four- to twenty-year period. On November 13, 2021, President Ram Nath Kovind presented Shri Subramanian Raman with the Dronacharya Award, 2021, for his outstanding achievements in coaching at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He has coached a number of outstanding table tennis players who have competed in national and international tournaments and won.
Major Dhyan Chand Award	After leaving his mark on the international hockey scene and helping his country reach the pinnacles of glory on multiple occasions. The Major Dhyan Chand Award is India’s highest honour for achievements in sports and games over a lifetime. The most well-known memorials for him were the National Sports Day celebrations on his birthday. The Dhyan Chand award honours athletes for their lifetime achievements and contributions to sport, both during their active careers and after they retire. Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award was formerly known as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award. It is India’s highest sports honour. Twelve athletes received National Sports Awards 2021, including Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra and wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya.
Arjuna Award	The Arjuna Award was named after Arjuna. The main character of the Mahabharata is an ancient Indian epic. Prior to the establishment of the Khel Ratna, it was India’s highest sporting honour. Winners of the Arjuna Award receive an Arjuna statuette, a certificate, and a cash prize for consistently good performance over a four-year period. Under current rules, a Khel Ratna winner cannot be nominated for the Arjuna Award. An Arjuna winner, on the other hand, can be nominated for the Khel Ratna. A sportsperson must have consistently performed well in the previous four years at events such as the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championship, World Cup, Indigenous Games, and Para sports to be eligible for this Indian sports award. On November 13, 2021, cricketer Shikhar Dhawan received the Arjuna Award from President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy	The Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy, or MAKA Trophy, is India’s oldest national sports award, established in 1956–1957. The award is named after the Indian freedom fighter and first education minister Abul Kalam Azad. It is given to the university that has had the best performance in inter-university tournaments over the previous year. Amritsar’s Guru Nanak Dev University has won the trophy 22 times, most recently in 2017–2018. Punjab University in Chandigarh has won the trophy 15 times, most recently in 2020, and Delhi University in Delhi has won 14 times, most recently in 2000–2001.
Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar	The Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar has been part of the National Sports Awards list since 2009. It is given to organisations or corporations (both private and public) and individuals for their contributions to sports promotion and development over the previous three years. Nominees are chosen from four categories: identifying and nurturing budding and young talent, encouraging sports participation through corporate social responsibility, employing athletes and providing sports welfare, and sports for development. Each category’s winner receives a citation and a trophy. Also, there may be multiple winners in a single category in a given year.

Conclusion:

The Khelo India Scheme aims to promote sports throughout the country, allowing the general public to benefit from sports’ cross-cutting effects, such as holistic development of children and youth, community development, social integration, gender equality, healthy lifestyles, national pride, and economic opportunities related to sports development. The National Sports Development Fund assists athletes in reaching their full potential by allowing them to train with world-class coaches, receive technical, scientific, and psychological support, and compete in international competitions.