President Droupadi Murmu presented the National Sports Awards 2025 at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, recognising outstanding contributions and achievements in Indian sports. The annual awards honour sportspersons and individuals who have demonstrated excellence across different sporting disciplines. During the event, the President also presented the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards 2024. A total of 17 athletes were selected for the Arjuna Awards for their exceptional performances during 2025. Among the recipients were athletics stars Tejaswin Shankar and Priyanka Goswami, chess player Divya Jitendra Deshmukh, hockey player Rajkumar Pal and kabaddi player Puja. Veteran Indian footballer Isaiah Arumainayagam was also honoured with the Arjuna Award in the Lifetime category in recognition of his contribution to the sport.
The ceremony also recognised the efforts of coaches and organisations in strengthening India’s sporting landscape. Five coaches received the Dronacharya Award for their contributions to sports development. Parveer Singh, Chhote Lal Yadav and Neha Nandkumar Chavan were honoured in the regular category, while Dharmendra Singh Yadav and Virender Kumar received the award in the Lifetime category. The Army Paralympic Node, Pune, was presented with the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar for its significant role in promoting and developing sports. Meanwhile, four individuals, including Baljeet Kaur and Rimo Saha, received the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards 2024. The ceremony highlighted achievements across sports, coaching and adventure activities.
