Tamil Nadu’s biggest recent haul in the National Sports Awards came in the 2024 cycle, announced on 2 January 2025: Chennai’s D. Gukesh received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, and four players from the state received the Arjuna Award, three of them para-badminton players. The 2025 list, announced on 18 August 2026, had no Khel Ratna at all.
The awards are given by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and athletes now apply for them themselves through an online portal. This guide sets out who from Tamil Nadu has been honoured in recent cycles, what each award is for, and how the nomination process works.
Tamil Nadu’s recent awardees
| Cycle | Award | Name | Sport |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Arjuna | R. Vaishali | Chess |
| 2023 | Dronacharya (coaching) | R. B. Ramesh | Chess |
| 2023 | Dhyan Chand (lifetime) | Kavitha Selvaraj | Kabaddi |
| 2024 | Khel Ratna | D. Gukesh | Chess |
| 2024 | Arjuna | Thulasimathi Murugesan | Para-badminton |
| 2024 | Arjuna | Nithya Sre Sivan | Para-badminton |
| 2024 | Arjuna | Manisha Ramadass | Para-badminton |
| 2024 | Arjuna | Abhay Singh | Squash |
The 2023 names are from the state sports department’s 2024-25 policy note, which also describes table tennis player A. Sharath Kamal as a Khel Ratna awardee. The 2024 names are on the full 2024 winners list, and DT Next grouped the four Arjuna winners as awardees from Tamil Nadu. Gukesh was then on course to become the youngest Khel Ratna recipient. President Droupadi Murmu presented the 2024 awards at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 17 January 2025, All India Radio reported.
The 2025 list
The ministry announced the 2025 awards on 18 August 2026. A selection committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Arun Kumar Mishra recommended 17 Arjuna Awards, one Arjuna (Lifetime), three regular and two lifetime Dronacharya Awards, and the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar for the Army Paralympic Node in Pune. No one was named for the Khel Ratna, the first such year since 2014, The Bridge and the Free Press Journal reported. The lists we read do not give awardees’ states, and we could not confirm any 2025 awardee as a Tamil Nadu nominee, so none is listed here.
What each award is for
- Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna: the top honour, for the most outstanding performance by a sportsperson. It carries ₹25 lakh. Neeraj Chopra could not be recommended for it after his Paris silver because he had already won it, according to the Olympics.com report on 2024.
- Arjuna Award: for consistent achievement over a period. It carries ₹15 lakh and a citation.
- Arjuna Award (Lifetime): for a lifetime contribution to sport. In the 2023 cycle the state’s Kavitha Selvaraj received the Dhyan Chand Award for lifetime achievement. From the 2024 cycle the ministry’s lists show the Arjuna (Lifetime) category in its place.
- Dronacharya Award: for coaches whose trainees win medals at major international events, in regular and lifetime categories.
- Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar: for companies, NGOs and other bodies that promote sport.
- Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy: for the best university in inter-university sport, based on the Khelo India University Games.
How nominations work
The process for the 2025 awards shows how it now runs.
- Notification. The ministry issued notifications on 29 September 2025 and posted them on its website, according to its press release.
- Self-application. Eligible sportspersons, coaches and organisations apply online themselves on the ministry’s awards portal, dbtyas-sports.gov.in. No federation letter is needed to start an application, though applicants upload proof of their results.
- Deadline. Applications were due by 11.59 pm on 28 October 2025, Dinamalar reported. The ministry later extended this to 4 November 2025 and said late entries would not be considered.
- Vigilance clearance. Applicants who are government servants must also submit vigilance clearance from their employer.
- Selection. A committee chaired by a retired Supreme Court judge, with former athletes, sports journalists and administrators, recommends names to the ministry.
For Chennai athletes and coaches, the practical point is timing. The notice usually comes in the latter part of the year, and the window is about a month. Keep certificates for international results ready in digital form. SDAT and the state associations can advise on documents, but the application itself is yours to file. Coaches applying for the Dronacharya Award should keep records showing which medallists they trained and for how long.
Quick answers
Who from Tamil Nadu won the Khel Ratna recently?
Chess world champion D. Gukesh of Chennai, in the 2024 cycle. The state’s policy note also lists Sharath Kamal as a Khel Ratna awardee.
Can an athlete apply for the Arjuna Award directly?
Yes. Sportspersons, coaches and organisations self-apply online on dbtyas-sports.gov.in during the notified window.
How much prize money does the Khel Ratna carry?
₹25 lakh. The Arjuna Award carries ₹15 lakh.
Was there a Khel Ratna for 2025?
No. The 2025 list, announced on 18 August 2026, had no Khel Ratna awardee.
Information checked against official sources on 23 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Youth Welfare and Sports Development Department Policy Note 2024-25 (Government of Tamil Nadu)
- National Sports Awards 2025: extension of last date for online applications (Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports / PIB)
- National Sports Awards 2024 announced (All India Radio News)
- National Sports Awards 2024: full winners list (Olympics.com)
- Khel Ratna for Gukesh, Arjuna for 3 TN para athletes (DT Next)
- National Sports Awards 2025 announced (The Bridge)
- Govt invites online applications for 2025 National Sports Awards (Dinamalar)
- National Sports Awards 2025: cash prize for the Arjuna Award (Free Press Journal)
