The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has announced the National Sports Awards for 2025, honoring 17 athletes with the prestigious Arjuna Award for their outstanding contributions and performances in Indian sports. Among the recipients are World Cup-winning chess player Divya Deshmukh, Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi, badminton players Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly, boxer Narender Berwal, and deaf rifle shooter Dhanush Srikanth.
These awards recognize athletes who have demonstrated consistent and exemplary performances in national and international competitions across various sports, including chess, badminton, boxing, and shooting. Notably, this year no athlete has been selected for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, India's highest sporting honor. Consequently, the Arjuna Awards stand as the primary recognition for individual sporting excellence in the 2025 National Sports Awards.
