National Sports Awards List 2022

There are multiple National Sports Awards in India which are awarded to sportspersons for their contribution and bringing pride to the country at national and international events. The biggest recognition or appreciation that a sportsperson gets is when the country’s government praises them. But it is when the country and fellow compatriots appreciate them, they experience all their hard work and training was worth it.

The Indian government awards the sports fraternity and its contribution to the country with several National Sports Awards.

Apart from the awards given in the field of sports, there are other Awards in India. IAS aspirants can read about the same at the linked article and prepare for the current affairs and general awareness section of the examination.

List of National Sports Awards in India – History & Background

Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award:

• This award was earlier called the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award until the government of India decided to change its name to what it is known as today.
• Those preparing for the UPSC exam must know that it is the highest award a sportsperson in India receives.
• Grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand was the first sportsperson to receive this award in 1991-92.
• A player is given this award in appreciation of their spectacular and outstanding performance spanning the previous four years.
• The player receives a medallion and a certificate with INR 25 lakh cash.
• For your UPSC Prelims, you should know that the only player that has received this award two times is Cueist Pankaj Advani for Billiards and Snooker.

Aspirants can get the detailed List of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award Winners 2021 at the linked article.

Also, read Birth of Dhyan Chand – [August 29, 1905]

Arjuna Award:

• The award, instituted in the year 1961 by the Indian government, honors outstanding performance in the field of sports.
• The award got its name from Arjuna, one of the characters in the famous Indian epic Mahabharata.
• The government bestows the award on a player who has displayed outstanding performance in sports in the last four years.
• Generally, the government honors 15 sportspeople across genders in multi-sports events and team sports. with the Arjuna Award in a year. However, they relax the numbers in case of excellent performances in a particular year.
• To date, more than 850 players and one team have received the prestigious Arjuna Award.
• The award includes a scroll, a bronze statue of Arjuna, a Ceremonial Dress, and a cash prize of INR 15 lakh.

Check the List of Arjuna Award Winners given to sportspersons to promote sports in India for their fantastic performance.

Dronacharya Award:

• • The award derives its name from the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata, where Dronacharya was the guru of the Kaurava and the Pandava brothers.
  • The award honours the coaches of the players of sports events like the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, Paralympics, Asian Games, and more.
  • The award was instituted in 1985 by the Government of India.
  • The first coaches to receive this award include Bhalchandra Bhaskar Bhagwat for Wrestling, Om Prakash Bhardwaj for Boxing, and O. M. Nambiar for Athletics.
  • To date, more than 120 coaches have received this award.

Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sports:

• This award, instituted in 2002, takes after India’s hockey wizard, Major Dhyan Chand, one of the greatest players India has ever produced.
• It celebrates a player’s lifetime contribution to a sport, during his career, and even after retirement.
• The award carries a scroll of honour, a statue of Major Dhyan Chand, a certificate, a ceremonial dress, and an INR 10 lakh cash prize.
• Coach Aparna Ghosh for Basketball was one of the first recipients.

Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar:

• • The Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar has been a fixture on the National Sports Awards list since 2009.
  • This award celebrates private and public organizations and individuals for their contributions in promoting sports and development in the last three years.
  • The award’s name translates to Sports Promotion Award in English. The award has four categories: identification and development of emerging and young talent, encouragement for sports through corporate and social responsibility, employment of athletes and sports welfare measures, and sports for development.
  • The winners in each category receive a citation along with a trophy. There may be multiple winners in a single category in a given year.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy:

• Another important award for your UPSC Syllabus, the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy, also known as the MAKA Trophy, is India’s oldest national sports award, established in 1956–1957.
• The award is named after the nation’s first education minister Abul Kalam Azad and one of the greatest Indian freedom fighters. It is conferred on sportspeople who display remarkable performances in the inter-university competitions over the previous year.
• The Bombay University (now the University of Mumbai) was the first recipient of this honour. But since then, the Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar, Punjab, has dominated the winners’ list, claiming 22 of the 64 awards given out.
• The prize consists of a rolling MAKA Trophy that is passed on to the winner each year and a cash prize.

Also, read Birth of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad – [November 11, 1888]

The awards described above are the most prominent sports awards conferred to people associated with the sports field.

The chosen sportspeople receive this award on National Sports Day, i.e., August 29. The day commemorates the birth anniversary of the Hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand. The National Sports Awards for 2022 shall be announced soon.

Furthermore, get the latest govt exam updates, study material and preparation tips at BYJU’S.