What's delaying National Sports Awards? athletes confused, ministry mum

NEW DELHI: There is simmering disquiet in India's sporting circles these days and at the heart of it is an unprecedented delay.

The annual celebration of India's sporting excellence, the National Sports Awards, are yet to be announced even though the selection committee gave its recommendations six months ago.

The Sports Ministry, whose seal of approval turns recommended names into award winners, has attributed the situation to a "re-evaluation of names picked for the Arjuna awards".

According to well-placed Ministry sources, the lingering wait is a matter of procedure and necessary to "preserve the integrity of the awards".

However, that explanation is hardly a consolation for the athletes.

"It is unfortunate that no announcement has come so far. It is de-motivating for the athletes, especially because unofficially most people come to know whether they have been shortlisted or not," lamented an Olympic-medal winning former Khel Ratna awardee in a conversation with PTI.

The date of the ceremony, held at the majestic Rashtrapati Bhavan, has not been a fixed one for quite a while now.

It was traditionally slated for August 29 to commemorate the National Sports Day, which is also the birth anniversary of one of India's greatest sportspersons -- hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand.

However, after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when the ceremony was conducted virtually due to health protocols in place, the date is no longer locked.

More than once, it has been pushed a couple of months after August 29 to accommodate the Olympic and other multi-sport events' performances. The latest that it was held was last year on January 17.

It is now well past one year since the last ceremony and the recommendations for the 2025-26 honours were made in December 2025. As per existing norms, they were to be formally announced by the Sports Ministry within a week of the finalisation with minor tweaks, if needed.

The weeks have turned into months but there is no word on when the announcement would come and adding to the "frustration" is the fact that the nomination process for the next edition is also not too far away on the calendar.

"These awards should always follow a set schedule. Whatever evaluation that needs to be done, it can be done but not by withholding names like this. I am sure most of those who have been selected are worthy of the honours," said the former Khel ratna winner.

The view was echoed by a former Arjuna awardee and Commonwealth Games gold-medallist.

Also speaking on conditions of anonymity, he said the date should never have been altered and if the idea was to make August 29 solely about Major Dhyan Chand's legacy, then a new fixed date should be allotted for the awards.

"At first the date kept moving for different reasons and now the entire process stands halted, which is not the athletes' fault at all. The ministry needs to at least give some explanation because these honours are like an annual festival for sportspersons. Getting those blazer fittings, the dress rehearsal of the entire protocol and finally that moment with the President, it's a major highlight for athletes," he said.

"There are emotions attached to these awards and it is just not fair that there is no word on what kind of scrutiny is being carried out. There has to be some transparency. If you don't want to have the ceremony on August 29, it's fine but have a fixed date which becomes a tradition eventually," he added.

It's not that only the former awardees are uneasy with the inordinate delay.

After the Ministry's announcement of re-evaluation, Asian championship gold-winning decathlete Tejaswin Shankar, who is recommended for the Arjuna award, had voiced his displeasure without mincing words.

"This delay is not just de-motivating to athletes and coaches but also a sign of disrespect," he had posted on X.

World Cup-winning chess player Divya Deshmukh and gymnast Pranati Nayak are among the Arjuna awards recommendations this year.

The Khel Ratna, which is the country's highest sporting honour, comes with a medallion, a citation and a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh and according to sources, men's hockey team star Hardik Singh is the only recommendation for 2025-26.

The Arjuna recommendations exceed 20 and cover diverse disciplines, including chess and the indigenous Yogasana, which would be recognised for the first time if the list remains unchanged. The Arjuna award makes the winner richer by Rs 15 lakh.

The Ministry has avoided a formal statement on what exactly has delayed the process but speaking off the record, top officials have cited concerns around whether a few recommended names have the requisite achievements for the honour.

"It shouldn't be the case that we have Arjuna awardees in every nook and corner but when you ask them about their accomplishments, there is nothing much to show. Please also don't forget the litigations and outrageous media statements that come out when some don't get awards," an official had stated.