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The Arjuna Award, officially known as Arjuna Awards for Outstanding Performance in Sports and Games is a sports honour of Republic of India. It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Before the introduction of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 1991–1992, the Arjuna Award was the highest sporting honour of India. As of 2020, the award comprises "a bronze statuette of Arjuna, certificate, ceremonial dress, and a cash prize of ₹15 lakh (US$18,000)".

Name

The award is named after Arjuna, a character from the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata of ancient India. He is one of the Pandavas, depicted as a skilled archer, winning the hand of Draupadi in marriage, and, in the Kurukshetra War, Lord Krishna becomes his charioteer, teaching him the sacred knowledge of Gita. In Hindu mythology, he has been seen as a symbol of hard work, dedication and concentration.

History

Instituted in 1961 to honour the outstanding sportspersons of the country, the award over the years has undergone a number of expansions, reviews, and rationalizations. The award was expanded to include all the recognised disciplines in 1977, has introduced indigenous games and physically handicapped categories in 1995 and introduced a lifetime contribution category in 1995 leading to creation of a separate Dhyan Chand Award in 2002. The latest revision in 2018 stipulates that the award is given only to the disciplines included in the events like Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championship and World Cup along with Cricket, Indigenous Games, and Parasports. It also recommends giving only fifteen awards in a year, relaxing in case of excellent performance in major multi-sport events, team sports, across gender and giving away of at least one award to physically challenged category.

The nominations for the award are received from all government recognised National Sports Federations, the Indian Olympic Association, the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the Sports Promotion and Control Boards, the state and the union territory governments and the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna, Dhyan Chand and Dronacharya awardees of the previous years. The recipients are selected by a committee constituted by the Ministry and are honoured for their "good performance in the field of sports over a period of four years" at international level and for having shown "qualities of leadership, sportsmanship and a sense of discipline".

Recipients

A total of 147 awards were presented in the 1980s – thirteen in 1980–1981, followed by sixteen in 1981, twenty in 1982, nineteen in 1983, fifteen in 1984, nineteen in 1985, thirteen in 1986, fifteen in 1987, five in 1988 and twelve in 1989. Individuals from thirty-three different sports were awarded, which includes nineteen from athletics, ten each from hockey and cricket, seven each from boxing, mountaineering and weightlifting, six each from chess, wrestling and yachting, five each from kho kho, shooting, swimming, table tennis and volleyball, four each from billiards & snooker, equestrian, football and kabaddi, three each from golf, three each from adventure sports, badminton and basketball, two each from archery, golf, gymnastics, lawn tennis, polo, powerlifting and rowing, and one each from ball badminton, bodybuilding, cycling, roller skating and squash.

Amongst the notable winners were P. T. Usha (awarded in 1983), nicknamed "queen of track and field". In 1984 Los Angeles Olympics she missed the bronze medal by one-hundredth of a second in 400 metres hurdles, and in 1985 Asian Athletics Championships held in Indonesia, she won five gold medals and a bronze medal. Bachendri Pal (awarded in 1984), became the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest in 1984, after which she led a number of expeditions including the 1993 Indo-Nepalese Women's Everest Expedition. Viswanathan Anand (awarded in 1985) became India's first-ever chess grandmaster in 1988. He would go on to become the FIDE World Chess Championship in 2000 and subsequently undisputed World Chess Champion four times in 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2012. Geet Sethi (awarded in 1985) was a professional English billiards player. He dominated the sport for much of 1990s, becoming the world champion eight times and setting two world records.

List of Recipients

Explanatory notes

1. The cash prize was introduced in the year 1977–1978 as a scholarship of ₹200 (US$2.40) a month for 2 years. It was revised to one time cash prize of ₹5,000 (US$60) in 1986, to ₹20,000 (US$240) in 1987, to ₹50,000 (US$600) in 1993, to ₹1.5 lakh (US$1,800) in 1998, to ₹3 lakh (US$3,600) in 2001, to ₹5 lakh (US$6,000) in 2009, and to ₹15 lakh (US$18,000) in 2020.

References

1. ^ "Revised Scheme of Arjuna Award" (PDF). Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (India). 7 September 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
2. Chhetri, Vivek (30 May 2015). "Team spirit at its peak for Arjuna". Telegraph India. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
3. "Vishwanathan Anand gets Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award" (PDF) (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 18 August 1992. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
4. Davis, Richard H. (26 October 2014). The Bhagavad Gita. ISBN 978-0-691-13996-8.
5. "Sports Ministry unveils new look Sports Awards" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 26 August 2009. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
6. Bhardwaj, D. K. "India in Sports: Some Fabulous Achievements". Press Information Bureau, India. Archived from the original on 13 August 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
7. "Cash awards for Arjuna winners" (PDF) (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 12 October 1977. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
8. "Arjuna Awards further expanded" (PDF) (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 24 May 1995. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
9. ^ "List of Arjuna Awardees (1961–2018)" (PDF). Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (India). Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 July 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
   • "Arjuna Awards Presented" (PDF) (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 21 April 1982. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
   • "Arjuna Awards for Sportpersons" (PDF) (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 11 January 1986. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
   • "President gives away Arjuna Awards and Dronacharya Awards" (PDF) (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 30 May 1989. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
10. ^ "PT Usha nominated for IAAF's Veteran Pin". Sportstar Hindu. Press Trust of India. 18 July 2019. Archived from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
11. "I was not a one-race wonder: PT Usha opens up on 'golden period'". Olympic Chaneel. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
12. "Bachendri Pal". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 30 May 2019. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
13. "Padma Bhushan awardee Bachendri Pal to lead a trek to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of 1993 Indo Nepalese Women's Everest Expedition" (Press release). Tata Steel. 13 April 2019. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
14. "Encyclopaedia Britannica". Viswanathan Anand. Archived from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
15. Subrahmanyam, V. V (2 April 2020). "Sportstar Archives: Geet Sethi – The romance continues". Sportstar Hindu. Archived from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
16. "Two years Scholarship for winners" (PDF) (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 27 October 1978. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
17. "Arjuna Award for 1986 to 13 Sports persons" (PDF) (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 12 January 1988. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
18. "Value of cash prize enhanced" (PDF) (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 30 May 1989. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
19. "Arjuna awards, Dronachrya awards for 1998 Presented" (PDF) (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 22 July 1993. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
20. "Value of cash prize enhanced" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 1 September 1998. Archived from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
21. "Arjuna Awards scheme Revised" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 3 April 2002. Archived from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
22. "Several initiatives undertaken for transformation of sports" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 22 December 2009. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
23. "Enhancement of cash amount of Sports Awards 2020" (PDF). Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (India). 27 August 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.

External links

• Official website

v t e National Sports Awards
Awards	Sports Arjuna Award Dhyan Chand Award Dronacharya Award Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy Khel Ratna Award Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar Others Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award (presented together)
Recipients	By year Arjuna Arjuna (1961–1969) Arjuna (1970–1979) Arjuna (1980–1989) Arjuna (1990–1999) Arjuna (2000–2009) Arjuna (2010–2019) Arjuna (2020–2029) Others Dhyan Chand Dronacharya Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy Khel Ratna Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar By sport Olympic Archery Athletics Badminton Basketball Boxing Cycling Equestrian Fencing Football Golf Gymnastics Hockey Judo Lawn Tennis Rowing Shooting Swimming Table Tennis Volleyball Weightlifting Winter Sports Wrestling Non-Olympic Adventure Sports Ball Badminton Billiards & Snooker Bodybuilding Carrom Chess Cricket Kabaddi Kho Kho Lawn Bowls Mallakhamb Motor Sports Mountaineering Polo Powerlifting Roller Skating Squash Wushu Yachting Others Parasports Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award

• Recipients of the Arjuna Award
• Indian sports trophies and awards
• Lists of Indian award winners