The National Sports Awards is the collective name given to the six sports awards of Republic of India. These are awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. They are presented by the President of India in the same ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, usually on 29 August each year, along with the national adventure award. , a total of 133 individuals have been awarded the various National Sports Awards in athletics. The four awards presented in athletics are the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award, Dhyan Chand Award, and Dronacharya Award.
First presented in the year 1961, the Arjuna Award in athletics has been given to a total of 94 individuals for their "good performance at the international level" over the period of the previous four years, with four individuals being awarded for their lifetime contribution. First presented in the year 1985, the Dronacharya Award has been presented to a total of 24 coaches in athletics for their "outstanding work on a consistent basis and enabling sportspersons to excel in international events" over the period of last four years, with seven coaches being awarded in the lifetime contribution category. First presented in the year 1998–1999, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the highest sporting honour of India, has been given to a total of three sportspersons in athletics for their "most outstanding performance at the international level" over the period of last four years. The Dhyan Chand Award, the lifetime achievement sporting honour of India first presented in the year 2004 has been given to a total of 12 retired sportspersons in athletics for their "good performance at the international level and their continued contributions to the promotion of sports even after their career as a sportsperson is over". One awardee, R. Gandhi, was posthumously honoured with the Dronacharya Award in the year 2017.
Recipients , three sportspersons in athletics have been awarded the highest sporting award, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna. The first recipient was Jyotirmoyee Sikdar, a former middle-distance runner who won a gold medal in 800 metres at the 1995 Asian Athletics Championships, a bronze medal in 1500 metres at the 1998 Asian Athletics Championships, and a gold medal in both the 800 metres and 1500 metres at the 1998 Asian Games held at Bangkok. She was presented with the Arjuna Award in the year 1995 and the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in the year 1998–1999. Sikdar was subsequently conferred with India's fourth highest civilian award, the Padma Shri, in the year 2003. She later became a politician, serving as the member of parliament representing Communist Party of India (Marxist) from the Krishnagar constituency in the 14th Lok Sabha.
The second recipient, K. M. Beenamol, came to the national limelight after qualifying for the semi finals of the women's 400 metres race at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. She won gold medals in both the women's 800 metres and the 4 × 400 metres women's relay in the 2002 Asian Games held at Busan, South Korea. She was presented with the Arjuna Award in the year 2000, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in the year 2002, and the Padma Shri in the year 2004.
The third recipient, Anju Bobby George, a long jumper, is India's first and only World Champion at the IAAF World Athletics Final. In 2003, she became the first Indian athlete ever to win a medal in World Athletics Championships, winning bronze. She secured fifth place in the women's long jump in the 2004 Summer Olympics held at Athens. She was presented with the Arjuna Award in the year 2002, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in the year 2003, and the Padma Shri in the year 2004.
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+ List of National Sports award recipients, showing the year, award and gender Year Recipient Award Gender1998–1999 Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Female2002 Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Female2003 Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Female2021 Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award Male1961 Arjuna Award Male1962 Arjuna Award Male1963 Arjuna Award Female1964 Arjuna Award Male1965 Arjuna Award Male1966 Arjuna Award Male1966 Arjuna Award Male1967 Arjuna Award Male1967 Arjuna Award Male1968 Arjuna Award Male1968 Arjuna Award Female1969 Arjuna Award Male1970 Arjuna Award Male1971 Arjuna Award Male1972 Arjuna Award Male1973 Arjuna Award Male1974 Arjuna Award Male1974 Arjuna Award Male1975 Arjuna Award Female1975 Arjuna Award Male1976 Arjuna Award Male1976 Arjuna Award Female1978–1979 Arjuna Award Male1978–1979 Arjuna Award Female1979–1980 Arjuna Award Male1980–1981 Arjuna Award Male1981 Arjuna Award Male1982 Arjuna Award Male1982 Arjuna Award Male1982 Arjuna Award Female1983 Arjuna Award Female1983 Arjuna Award Male1984 Arjuna Award Female1984 Arjuna Award Male1985 Arjuna Award Female1985 Arjuna Award Male1985 Arjuna Award Male1986 Arjuna Award Female1987 Arjuna Award Female1987 Arjuna Award Female1987 Arjuna Award Male1987 Arjuna Award Male1988 Arjuna Award Female1989 Arjuna Award Female1990 Arjuna Award Male1992 Arjuna Award Male1993 Arjuna Award Female1994 Arjuna Award Female1995 Arjuna Award Female1995 Arjuna Award Male1996 Arjuna Award Male1996 Arjuna Award Female1997 Arjuna Award Female1998 Arjuna Award Male1998 Arjuna Award Male1998 Arjuna Award Male1998 Arjuna Award Female1998 Arjuna Award Male1999 Arjuna Award Male1999 Arjuna Award Male1999 Arjuna Award Female1999 Arjuna Award Female2000 Arjuna Award Female2000 Arjuna Award Female2000 Arjuna Award Female2000 Arjuna Award Male2002 Arjuna Award Female2002 Arjuna Award Female2003 Arjuna Award Female2003 Arjuna Award Female2004 Arjuna Award Male2004 Arjuna Award Female2005 Arjuna Award Female2006 Arjuna Award Male2007 Arjuna Award Female2009 Arjuna Award Female2010 Arjuna Award Male2010 Arjuna Award Female2011 Arjuna Award Male2011 Arjuna Award Female2012 Arjuna Award Female2012 Arjuna Award Female2014 Arjuna Award Female2015 Arjuna Award Female2016 Arjuna Award Female2017 Arjuna Award Female2017 Arjuna Award Male2018 Arjuna Award Male2018 Arjuna Award Female2018 Arjuna Award Male2019 Arjuna Award Male2019 Arjuna Award Female2019 Arjuna Award Male2020 Arjuna Award Female2021 Arjuna Award Male2022 Arjuna Award Female2022 Arjuna Award Male2022 Arjuna Award Male2023 Arjuna Award Female2023 Arjuna Award Male2024 Arjuna Award Female2024 Arjuna Award Female2004 Dhyan Chand Award Male2006 Dhyan Chand Award Male2008 Dhyan Chand Award Male2009 Dhyan Chand Award Male2010 Dhyan Chand Award Male2012 Dhyan Chand Award Male2013 Dhyan Chand Award Female2016 Dhyan Chand Award Female2017 Dhyan Chand Award Male2018 Dhyan Chand Award Female2020 Dhyan Chand Award Male2020 Dhyan Chand Award Female2022 Dhyan Chand Award Female2024 Dhyan Chand Award Male2011 Dronacharya Award Male2012 Dronacharya Award Male2013 Dronacharya Award Male2014 Dronacharya Award Male2015 Dronacharya Award Male2018 Dronacharya Award Male2020 Dronacharya Award Male2021 Dronacharya Award Male1985 Dronacharya Award Male1994 Dronacharya Award Male1995 Dronacharya Award Male1997 Dronacharya Award Male1998 Dronacharya Award Male1998 Dronacharya Award Male1999 Dronacharya Award Male2002 Dronacharya Award Female2002 Dronacharya Award Male2003 Dronacharya Award Male2006 Dronacharya Award Male2010 Dronacharya Award Male2012 Dronacharya Award Male2016 Dronacharya Award Male2017 Dronacharya Award Male2018 Dronacharya Award Male2019 Dronacharya Award Male2021 Dronacharya Award Male
References
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