Key Concepts & Self-Assessment15 Key Facts
Review key National Sports Awards: Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna & Arjuna exam facts and rate your mastery to track revision.
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#1
The National Sports Awards are presented annually on National Sports Day (August 29) on Major Dhyan Chand’s birth anniversary.
#2
The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (instituted in 1991–92) is India’s highest sporting honor; Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand was its first recipient.
#3
Karnam Malleswari was the first woman to receive the Rajiv Gandhi / Khel Ratna Award (1994–95).
#4
The Arjuna Award was instituted in 1961 to recognize outstanding achievements in national and international sports.
#5
The Dronacharya Award was instituted in 1985 to honour excellence in sports coaching, first awarded to O.M. Nambiar, Om Prakash Bhardwaj, and Bhalchandra Bhaskar Bhagwat.
#6
The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award carries a cash prize of ₹25 lakh, a bronze medallion, and a formal ceremonial scroll of honor.
#7
The Arjuna Award carries a cash prize of ₹15 lakh, a bronze statuette of Arjuna with a bow, and a formal commendation certificate.
#8
The Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sports and Games was instituted in 2002 to honour veteran athletes contributing to sports post-retirement.
#9
The Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar was instituted in 2009 to recognize corporate entities, sports control boards, and NGOs promoting sports development.
#10
The Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy was instituted in 1956–57, awarded annually as a rolling trophy to the top-performing university in inter-university sports tournaments.
#11
Pankaj Advani received the Khel Ratna Award in 2005–06 for billiards and snooker, standing among India's most successful multi-sport cueists.
#12
Mary Kom received the Rajiv Gandhi / Khel Ratna Award in 2009 alongside Olympic medalists Vijender Singh and Sushil Kumar.
#13
The Dronacharya Award is presented in two categories: Regular Category (cash prize of ₹10 lakh) and Lifetime Category (cash prize of ₹15 lakh).
#14
The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award was officially renamed the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award by the Union Government on August 6, 2021.
#15
Sachin Tendulkar was the first cricketer to receive the Khel Ratna Award in 1997–98, followed by M.S. Dhoni (2007) and Virat Kohli (2018).
Subject Specialist Commentary
Analytical perspective & practical exam advice from the Master10 academic board
India celebrates National Sports Day annually on August 29 to honor hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand. On this occasion, the President presents the National Sports Awards to distinguished athletes and coaches. The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, instituted in 1991–92, is India's highest sports honor, carrying a cash prize of ₹25 lakh. The Arjuna Award, established in 1961, provides ₹15 lakh, while the Dronacharya Award honors excellence in sports coaching.
For competitive exams like SSC and State PSC, question setters frequently test first recipients and cash awards. Remember that Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand won the inaugural Khel Ratna, and Karnam Malleswari was the first woman recipient. A common prelims trap is confusing the Dhyan Chand Lifetime Award (2002) with the renamed Khel Ratna (1991–92). Also remember the Dronacharya Award has two cash tiers: ₹10 lakh for Regular and ₹15 lakh for Lifetime.
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