Arjuna Award for Divya Deshmukh, Vidit Gujrathi; Pune’s Army Paralympic Node Honoured, No Khel Ratna
President Murmu presented the National Sports Awards on November 13. Maharashtra chess stars and Pune’s Army Paralympic Node were honoured; no Khel Ratna was given.
Photo: Wilfredor / CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pune, 14th November 2026: President Droupadi Murmu presented the National Sports Awards at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday, November 13, with Maharashtra chess players Divya Deshmukh and Vidit Gujrathi among 17 Arjuna Award winners, ANI reported. Pune’s Army Paralympic Node received the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar.
No athlete was given the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna this time, which Adda247 noted was the first such gap since 2014.
Maharashtra and Pune winners
- Divya Deshmukh (chess): The Nagpur grandmaster receives the Arjuna Award
- Vidit Santosh Gujrathi (chess): The Nashik grandmaster receives the Arjuna Award
- Army Paralympic Node, Pune: Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar, for promoting sport
- Neha Nandkumar Chavan (shooting): Dronacharya Award (regular) for coaching
The Army Paralympic Node in Pune trains soldiers and veterans with disabilities in para sports, and has produced several international medallists. The Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar is given to organisations that do outstanding work to develop sport, so the award recognises years of work by the node’s coaches and athletes.
Full Arjuna Award list
| Athlete | Sport |
|---|---|
| Tejaswin Shankar | Athletics |
| Muhammed Ajmal V | Athletics |
| Priyanka Goswami | Athletics |
| Treesa Jolly | Badminton |
| Gayatri Gopichand | Badminton |
| Narender | Boxing |
| Vidit Santosh Gujrathi | Chess |
| Divya Jitendra Deshmukh | Chess |
| Dhanush Srikanth | Deaf shooting |
| Lalremsiami | Hockey |
| Rajkumar Pal | Hockey |
| Surjeet | Kabaddi |
| Pooja | Kabaddi |
| Rudranksh Khandelwal | Para-shooting |
| Ekta Bhyan | Para-athletics |
| Arvind Singh | Rowing |
| Akhil Sheoran | Shooting |
I. Arumainayagam (football) received the Arjuna Award for lifetime achievement.
What the awards carry
The Arjuna Award recognises consistent performance over the previous four years, along with leadership and sportsmanship. Winners receive a statuette, a certificate and prize money from the sports ministry. The Dronacharya Award honours coaches whose trainees have won at major international events.
For chess fans in Pune, two Arjuna awards for Maharashtra players are a big moment. Pune has a strong chess culture, with clubs and academies across Kothrud, Deccan and Pimple Saudagar producing rated players every year.
Coaches honoured
The Dronacharya Award (regular) went to Parveer Singh (athletics), Chhote Lal Yadav (boxing) and Neha Nandkumar Chavan (shooting). Dharmendra Singh Yadav (boxing) and Virender Kumar (wrestling) received lifetime Dronacharya awards.
Why the list was shorter
The selection committee had recommended 24 names for the Arjuna Award, but the sports ministry cut the list to 17 after its own review, Dynamite News reported in August. An official said awards cannot be given on reputation alone. The seven names dropped were not made public.
“Arjuna Award” was among the top trends on X in India on Friday. For more sport, see our sports section and our story on Swara Karmarkar’s WTT bronze.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the Arjuna Award this year?
17 athletes, including Tejaswin Shankar, Divya Deshmukh, Vidit Gujrathi, Lalremsiami and Rudranksh Khandelwal.
Was the Khel Ratna awarded this year?
No athlete received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna this time.
Which Pune institution was honoured?
The Army Paralympic Node, Pune, received the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar.
When were the National Sports Awards presented?
President Droupadi Murmu presented them at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 13 November 2026.
