Major Dhyan Chand Khel-Ratna Award 2021 will be given to 12 Sports persons

35 Sports persons will receive Arjuna Awards for outstanding performance in Sports and Games 2021

Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports announced the National Sports Awards 2021 today. The awardees will receive their awards from the President of India at a specially organized function at the Darbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan on 13th November, 2021(Saturday) at 1630 hrs.National Sports Awards are given every year to recognize and reward excellence in sports.

‘Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award’ is given for the spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over a period of previous four years.

‘Arjuna Award for outstanding performance in Sports and Games’ is given for good performance over a period of previous four years and showing qualities of leadership, sportsmanship and a sense of discipline.

‘Dronacharya Award for outstanding coaches in Sports and Games’ is given to coaches for doing outstanding and meritorious work on a consistent basis and enabling sportspersons to excel in International events.

‘Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime achievement in Sports and Games’ is given to honour sportspersons who have contributed to sports by their performance and continue to contribute to promotion of sports event after their retirement.

‘Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar’ is given to corporate entities (both in private and public sector), sports control boards, NGOs including sports bodies at theState and National level who have played a visible role in the area of sports promotion and development. 

Overall top performing university in inter-university tournaments is given Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy.

A large number of nominations were received for these awards this year, which were considered by the Selection Committee headed by Justice (Retd.) Mukundakam Sharma (former Judge of Supreme Court), consisting members from eminent sportspersons and persons having experience in sports journalism & sports administrator etc.

Based on the recommendations of the Committee and after due scrutiny, the Government has decided to confer awards upon the following sportspersons, coaches and entities:

  1. Major Dhyan Chand Khel-Ratna Award 2021
S. No.Name of the SportspersonDiscipline
1.Neeraj ChopraAthletics
2.Ravi KumarWrestling
3.LovlinaBorgohainBoxing
4.Sreejesh P.RHockey
5.AvaniLekharaPara Shooting
6.SumitAntilPara Athletics
7.PramodBhagatPara Badminton
8.Krishna NagarPara Badminton
9.Manish NarwalPara Shooting
10.Mithali RajCricket
11.Sunil ChhetriFootball
12.Manpreet SinghHockey

(ii)        Arjuna Awards for outstanding performance in Sports and Games 2021

S. No.Name of the SportspersonDiscipline
 Arpinder SinghAthletics
 SimranjitKaurBoxing
 ShikharDhawanCricket
 Bhavani Devi Chadalavada Anandha SundhararamanFencing
 MonikaHockey
 VandanaKatariyaHockey
 SandeepNarwalKabaddi
 HimaniUttamParabMallakhamb
 AbhishekVermaShooting
 AnkitaRainaTennis
 Deepak PuniaWrestling
 Dilpreet SinghHockey
 Harman Preet SinghHockey
 Rupinder Pal SinghHockey
 Surender KumarHockey
 AmitRohidasHockey
 BirendraLakraHockey
 SumitHockey
 Nilakanta SharmaHockey
 Hardik SinghHockey
 VivekSagar PrasadHockey
 Gurjant SinghHockey
 Mandeep SinghHockey
 Shamsher SinghHockey
 Lalit Kumar UpadhyayHockey
 Varun KumarHockey
 Simranjeet SinghHockey
 YogeshKathuniyaPara Athletics
 Nishad KumarPara Athletics
 Praveen KumarPara Athletics
 SuhashYathirajPara Badminton
 SinghrajAdhanaPara Shooting
 Bhavina PatelPara Table Tennis
 Harvinder SinghPara Archery
 Sharad KumarPara Athletics

(iii)       Dronacharya Award for outstanding coaches in Sports and Games 2021

  1. Life-Time Category:
S. No.Name of the CoachDiscipline
 T. P. OusephAthletics
 SarkarTalwarCricket
 Sarpal SinghHockey
 Ashan KumarKabaddi
 Tapan Kumar PanigrahiSwimming
  1. Regular Category:
S. No.Name of the CoachDiscipline
 Radhakrishnan Nair PAthletics
 SandhyaGurungBoxing
 PritamSiwachHockey
 Jai PrakashNautiyalPara Shooting
 Subramanian RamanTable Tennis

 (iv)      Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime achievement in Sports and Games 2021

S.No.NameDiscipline
 Lekha K.C.Boxing
 AbhijeetKunteChess
 Davinder Singh GarchaHockey
 Vikas KumarKabaddi
 Sajjan SinghWrestling

(vi) Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2021

S. No.CategoryEntity recommended for RashtriyaKhelProtsahanPuraskar, 2021
1.Identification and Nurturing of Budding and Young TalentManavRachna Educational Institution
2.Encouragement to sports through Corporate Social ResponsibilityIndian Oil Corporation Limited

(vii)      Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy 2021: 

Panjab University – Chandigarh