January 17, 2025: India’s para-archer Rakesh Kumar expressed his immense joy and gratitude after receiving the prestigious Arjuna Award at the National Sports Awards 2025 on Friday.
Kumar, along with his partner Sheetal Devi, had secured a bronze medal in the mixed team compound event at the Paris Paralympics by defeating Italy’s Eleonora Sarti and Matteo Bonnacina. This remarkable achievement earned him the recognition. Reflecting on the honor, Kumar said, “I am very happy that my hard work of eight years has paid off. Receiving this award from our President is a matter of great pride for me.”
Mona Agarwal, another prominent para-athlete and Arjuna Awardee, also shared her joy upon receiving the award. She expressed, “We are celebrating this gift from the government like a festival. We are very proud to receive this honour, and I am preparing for the Asian Games in 2026.”
Other notable awardees include double Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker, World Chess Champion Gukesh Dommaraju, Indian men’s hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh, and para-athlete Praveen Kumar, who were conferred with the prestigious Khel Ratna Award. The Indian men’s hockey team players Jarmanpreet Singh, Sanjay, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, and women’s hockey team captain Salima Tete were also honored with Arjuna Awards for their outstanding performances in sports.
Additionally, Indian chess grandmaster Vantika Agrawal and athlete Jyothi Yarraji were also among the recipients of the Arjuna Award, as were various para-athletes including Preeti Pal, Jeevanji Deepthi, Ajeet Singh, and others. Para-Olympic shooters Mona Agarwal and Rubina Francis were also recognized for their exceptional contributions to sports.