India confers top National Sports Awards 2020
On Saturday, 29 August India’s top national Sports Awards ceremony was organized – virtually of course in this new normal and the outstanding and deserving sports persons were conferred with Khel Ratna and other sports awards.
The award winners were connected virtually to President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan from nine different Sports Authority of India-designated locations within the country.
Five outstanding Indians – Cricketer Rohit Sharma, wrestler Vinesh Phogat, para athlete Mariyappan Thangavelu, women’s hockey team captain Rani Rampal, and paddler Manika Batra – were virtually awarded with India’s highest sporting achievement award – the coveted Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna.
Rohit, who is in Dubai for the IPL 2020 could not take part in the ceremony.
President Kovind highlighted the fact that out of total five, three – recipients of this year’s Khel Ratna award were women – Hockey player Rani Rampal, Paddler Manika Batra and Wrestler Vinesh Phogat.
India celebrates August 29 as the Annual Sports Day and every year awards achievers in sport and athletics in the following categories:
- Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna is the country’s highest sporting honour.
- Dronacharya award is awarded to the coaches for producing medal winners at prestigious international sports events. Under this category achievers are awarded for their contributions in two categories – Life-time Category and Regular Category.
- Arjuna Award recognizes the individual achievers in their discipline achieve record breaking heights.
- Dhyan Chand Award is awarded for the contribution to sports development life-time.
Complete list of National Sports Awards 2020 Winners
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award
| Name of Sportsperson | Discipline |
| Shri Rohit Sharma | Cricket |
| Shri Mariyappan T. | Para Athletics |
| Ms. Manika Batra | Table Tennis |
| Ms. Vinesh | Wrestling |
| Ms. Rani | Hockey |
I am very happy and feel privileged to receive this honour. I promise to keep working hard. Fans are my support system & I am sure they will keep backing us: @ImRo45 on his Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, India’s highest sporting honour. pic.twitter.com/30d6vb6WMz
— BCCI (@BCCI) August 27, 2020
Dronacharya Award
- For Life-time Category
| Name of the Coach | Discipline |
| Shri Dharmendra Tiwary | Archery |
| Shri Purushotham Rai | Athletics |
| Shri Shiv Singh | Boxing |
| Shri Romesh Pathania | Hockey |
| Shri Krishan Kumar Hooda | Kabaddi |
| Shri Vijay Bhalchandra Munishwar | Para Powerlifting |
| Shri Naresh Kumar | Tennis |
| Shri Om Parkash Dahiya | Wrestling |
- For Regular Category’
| Name of the Coach | Discipline |
| Shri Jude Felix Sebastian | Hockey |
| Shri Yogesh Malviya | Mallakhamb |
| Shri Jaspal Rana | Shooting |
| Shri Kuldeep Kumar Handoo | Wushu |
| Shri Gaurav Khanna | Para-Badminton |
Arjuna Award
| Name of the Sportsperson | Discipline |
| Shri Atanu Das | Archery |
| Ms. Dutee Chand | Athletics |
| Shri Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy | Badminton |
| Shri Chirag Chandrasekhar Shetty | Badminton |
| Shri Vishesh Bhriguvanshi | Basketball |
| Subedar Manish Kaushik | Boxing |
| Ms. Lovlina Borgohain | Boxing |
| Shri Ishant Sharma | Cricket |
| Ms. Deepti Sharma | Cricket |
| Shri Sawant Ajay Anant | Equestrian |
| Shri Sandesh Jhingan | Football |
| Ms. Aditi Ashok | Golf |
| Shri Akashdeep Singh | Hockey |
| Ms. Deepika | Hockey |
| Shri Deepak | Kabaddi |
| Shri Kale Sarika Sudhakar | Kho Kho |
| Shri Dattu Baban Bhokanal | Rowing |
| Ms. Manu Bhaker | Shooting |
| Shri Saurabh Chaudhary | Shooting |
| Ms. Madhurika Suhas Patkar | Table Tennis |
| Shri Divij Sharan | Tennis |
| Shri Shiva Keshavan | Winter Sports |
| Ms. Divya Kakran | Wrestling |
| Shri Rahul Aware | Wrestling |
| Shri Suyash Narayan Jadhav | Para Swimming |
| Shri Sandeep | Para Athletics |
| Shri Manish Narwal | Para Shooting |
Congratulations to @Deepti_Sharma06 on being honoured with the Arjuna Award. 👏 pic.twitter.com/AMkUesi1Je
— BCCI (@BCCI) August 29, 2020
Dhyan Chand Award
| Name of the Sportsperson | Discipline |
| Shri Kuldip Singh Bhullar | Athletics |
| Ms. Jincy Philips | Athletics |
| Shri Pradeep Shrikrishna Gandhe | Badminton |
| Ms. Trupti Murgunde | Badminton |
| Ms. N. Usha | Boxing |
| Shri Lakha Singh | Boxing |
| Shri Sukhvinder Singh Sandhu | Football |
| Shri Ajit Singh | Hockey |
| Shri Manpreet Singh | Kabaddi |
| Shri J. Ranjith Kumar | Para Athletics |
| Shri Satyaprakash Tiwari | Para Badminton |
| Shri Manjeet Singh | Rowing |
| Late Shri Sachin Nag | Swimming |
| Shri Nandan P Bal | Tennis |
| Shri Netarpal Hooda | Wrestling |