National Sports Awards 2024: Full List of Khel Ratna, Arjuna and Dronacharya Award Recipients

Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and chess world champion D. Gukesh are among four athletes who will be honoured with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award on January 17, India's Sports Ministry announced on Thursday.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports announced the National Sports Awards 2024 today. The recipients will be honored by the President of India at a special ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday, 17th January 2025, at 11 AM pic.twitter.com/1rv6Q42xBF

— IANS (@ians_india) January 2, 2025

Bhaker made history at the Paris Olympics, becoming the first Indian since Independence to win multiple medals in a single edition. She earned bronze in both the women’s 10m air pistol event and the 10m air pistol mixed team event with Sarabjot Singh, making her the first Indian woman to win an Olympic shooting medal.

Gukesh, at 18 years old, had a stellar year in 2024, with his crowning achievement being his victory over China’s Ding Liren. The win secured his place as the youngest World chess champion, breaking a long-standing record held by Garry Kasparov.

Men’s hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh and Paralympic gold medallist Praveen Kumar were also honoured. Singh, who led India to a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics and won the Asian Champions Trophy, and Kumar, who triumphed in the high jump event at the Paralympics, were both recognised with the Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.

The National Sports Awards recognize exceptional sporting achievements over the previous four years. The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award honours the most outstanding performances, while the Arjuna Award acknowledges consistent excellence, leadership, and sportsmanship.

Read Also | Gukesh, Manu, Harmanpreet, Praveen picked for Khel Ratna Award

The government has selected the following sportspersons, coaches, universities, and entities for recognition:

Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2024

1. Shri Gukesh – Chess
2. Shri Harmanpreet Singh – Hockey
3. Shri Praveen Kumar – Para-Athletics
4. Ms. Manu Bhaker – Shooting

Arjuna Awards for Outstanding Performance in Sports and Games 2024

1. Ms. Jyothi Yarraji – Athletics
2. Ms. Annu Rani – Athletics
3. Ms. Nitu – Boxing
4. Ms. Saweety – Boxing
5. Ms. Vantika Agrawal – Chess
6. Ms. Salima Tete – Hockey
7. Shri Abhishek – Hockey
8. Shri Sanjay – Hockey
9. Shri Jarmanpreet Singh – Hockey
10. Shri Sukhjeet Singh – Hockey
11. Shri Rakesh Kumar – Para-Archery
12. Ms. Preeti Pal – Para-Athletics
13. Ms. Jeevanji Deepthi – Para-Athletics
14. Shri Ajeet Singh – Para-Athletics
15. Shri Sachin Sarjerao Khilari – Para-Athletics
16. Shri Dharambir – Para-Athletics
17. Shri Pranav Soorma – Para-Athletics
18. Shri H Hokato Sema – Para-Athletics
19. Ms. Simran – Para-Athletics
20. Shri Navdeep – Para-Athletics
21. Shri Nitesh Kumar – Para-Badminton
22. Ms. Thulasimathi Murugesan – Para-Badminton
23. Ms. Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan – Para-Badminton
24. Ms. Manisha Ramadass – Para-Badminton
25. Shri Kapil Parmar – Para-Judo
26. Ms. Mona Agarwal – Para-Shooting
27. Ms. Rubina Francis – Para-Shooting
28. Shri Swapnil Suresh Kusale – Shooting
29. Shri Sarabjot Singh – Shooting
30. Shri Abhay Singh – Squash
31. Shri Sajan Prakash – Swimming
32. Shri Aman – Wrestling

Arjuna Awards (Lifetime) 2024

1. Shri Sucha Singh – Athletics
2. Shri Murlikant Rajaram Petkar – Para-Swimming

Dronacharya Award for Outstanding Coaches 2024
Regular Category

1. Shri Subhash Rana – Para-Shooting
2. Ms. Deepali Deshpande – Shooting
3. Shri Sandeep Sangwan – Hockey

Lifetime Category

1. Shri S. Muralidharan – Badminton
2. Shri Armando Agnelo Colaco – Football

Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar

1. Physical Education Foundation of India

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy 2024

1. Chandigarh University – Overall Winner
2. Lovely Professional University (PB) – First Runner-Up
3. Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar – Second Runner-Up

The Dronacharya Award is presented to coaches who have contributed significantly to their athletes’ success in international competitions. The Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy is awarded to the top-performing university in the Khelo India University Games.

The award ceremony will take place on January 17, 2025, at 11 a.m. at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The President of India will present the awards.