President Murmu Presents National Sports Awards; No Khel Ratna Conferred This Year

Why in the News?

President **Droupadi Murmu** presented the **National Sports Awards** during an official ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on **November 13, 2026**. Notably, no athlete was chosen for the country's highest sporting honor, the **Khel Ratna**, this year.

Key Features / Major Points:

- Khel Ratna Omission:

- No athlete was conferred the Khel Ratna award this year; the last time the country did not have a Khel Ratna recipient was in **2014**.

- Arjuna Awards (17 Sportspersons):

- 17 athletes received the Arjuna Award, including decathlete **Tejaswin Shankar**, chess Grandmasters **Divya Deshmukh** & **Vidit Gujrathi**, boxer **Narender Berwal**, and women's doubles badminton pair **Gayatri Gopichand & Treesa Jolly**.

- **Para-sports:** Para club thrower **Ekta Bhyan** and shooter **Rudransh Khandelwal** received the honor.

- **Lifetime Achievement (Arjuna):** **I. Arumainayagam** (1962 Asian Games gold-winning football team member) was the sole winner.

- Dronacharya Awards:

- **Regular Category:** Parveer Singh, Chhote Lal Yadav (boxing), Neha Chavan.

- **Lifetime Category:** Dharmendra Yadav (boxing) and Virender Kumar (wrestling).

- Cash Prize & Dignitaries:

- The Arjuna Award carries a cash prize of **₹15 lakh**.

- Attended by Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports **Mansukh Mandaviya** and Sports Secretary **Hari Ranjan Rao**.

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Static GK Facts:

- National Sports Awards Ecosystem:

- National Sports Day: Celebrated on **August 29** (Birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand).

- Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award: Highest sports honor in India; carries a cash prize of **₹25 lakh**.

- Arjuna Award: Established in **1961**; carries a cash prize of **₹15 lakh**.

- Dronacharya Award: Instituted in **1985** for excellence in sports coaching.

One-Liner Quiz (All Competitive Exams):

Q: What is the cash prize awarded to an Arjuna Award winner?

A: ₹15 Lakh

Q: Which 1962 Asian Games gold medalist footballer received the Arjuna Award for Lifetime Achievement?

A: I. Arumainayagam

Q: On whose birth anniversary is National Sports Day celebrated every year on August 29?

A: Major Dhyan Chand

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