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Khel Ratna 2025: Bhaker, Gukesh, Singh Lead India’s Sporting Honors
Khel Ratna 2025: Bhaker, Gukesh, Singh, and Kumar Lead India’s Sporting Honors
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announces the 2025 Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award winners, with Manu Bhaker, D Gukesh, and Harmanpreet Singh among the honorees.
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has named the recipients of the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award for 2025, recognizing outstanding athletes who have excelled in their disciplines over the past four years. This year’s honorees include Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker, world chess champion D Gukesh, men's hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh, and Paralympic gold medalist Praveen Kumar.
The Khel Ratna, the highest sporting honor in India, is awarded to athletes who have demonstrated exceptional performances in international competitions. Bhaker, a shooting sensation, and Gukesh, a chess prodigy, have made significant contributions to their sports, while Harmanpreet Singh’s leadership in hockey and Praveen Kumar’s achievements in para-athletics have further elevated India’s standing in global sports.
Alongside the Khel Ratna, the Ministry also revealed the list of Arjuna Award recipients for 2025. The Arjuna Award honors athletes who have consistently delivered outstanding performances over the past four years, showcasing qualities such as leadership, discipline, and sportsmanship. This year’s list includes 32 athletes, with 17 para-athletes, highlighting the growing inclusivity of Indian sports. Among the notable Arjuna Awardees are Jyothi Yarraji and Annu Rani in athletics, Nitu and Saweety in boxing, and Vantika Agrawal in chess.
The awards ceremony, set for January 17, 2025, will be presided over by President Droupadi Murmu. In addition to the Arjuna Award, the Arjuna Award (Lifetime) will be presented to retired athletes who continue to contribute to the development of sports in India. The lifetime awardees this year are Sucha Singh, a distinguished athlete in athletics, and Murlikant Rajaram Petkar, a notable figure in para-swimming.
The Dronacharya Award, which recognizes coaches for their exceptional contributions to the success of athletes, has been awarded to Subhash Rana for Para-Shooting, Deepali Deshpande for Shooting, and Sandeep Sangwan for Hockey. The Lifetime Dronacharya Award will go to S Muralidharan (Badminton) and Armando Agnelo Colaco (Football), both of whom have significantly influenced their respective sports.
In addition to individual honors, the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar was awarded to the Physical Education Foundation of India for its contributions to sports development. Meanwhile, the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy for the top-performing university in the Khelo India University Games went to Chandigarh University. Lovely Professional University (Punjab) and Guru Nanak Dev University (Amritsar) secured the first and second runner-up positions, respectively.
