Navdeep Singh, Salima Tete And Other Sports Stars Felicitated With Arjuna Award

January 17, 2025: The National Sports Awards 2025, held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Friday, saw several Indian athletes honored with the prestigious Arjuna Award for their outstanding performances in sports. The ceremony was graced by the President of India, Draupadi Murmu, who conferred the awards on the deserving recipients.

Notable athletes who received the Arjuna Award include:

Salima Tete (Indian women’s hockey team captain): Salima’s leadership and excellent performances on the field have earned her this prestigious recognition.

Jarmanpreet Singh, Sanjay, Abhishek, and Sukhjeet Singh (Indian men’s hockey team): These players were celebrated for their exceptional contribution to the Indian men’s hockey team’s success on the international stage.

Vantika Agrawal (Indian chess grandmaster): Vantika was a key part of the Indian women’s chess team that won the gold medal at the Chess Olympiad held in Budapest.

Jyothi Yarraji (athletics): Although she narrowly missed qualifying for the semifinals in the 100m hurdles at the Paris Olympics, Yarraji’s stellar performance in other events, including a gold at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, earned her the award.

In addition, Para-athletes who excelled at the 2024 Paris Paralympics were also honored, including:

• Preeti Pal: Secured two bronze medals in the 100m T35 and 200m T35 events.
• Jeevanji Deepthi: Bronze in the women’s 400m T20 final.
• Ajeet Singh and Sundar Singh Gurjar: Medals in men’s javelin throw F46.
• Simran Sharma: Bronze in the 200m T12 event.
• Dharambir: Gold in the men’s club throw F51 event, setting an Asian record.
• Pranav Soorma: Silver in men’s club throw F51.
• Hokato Hotozhe Sema: Bronze in the men’s shot put F57.
• Navdeep Singh: Silver medal that was upgraded to gold after the disqualification of the original winner.

Olympic medalists Swapnil Suresh Kusale and Sarabjot Singh, as well as Para-Olympic shooters Mona Agarwal and Rubina Francis, also received Arjuna Awards for their remarkable performances.

• Swapnil Suresh Kusale: Bronze in the men’s 50m rifle 3P event at the Olympics.
• Sarabjot Singh and Manu Bhaker: Bronze in the 10m air pistol (mixed team) event, marking India’s first-ever shooting team medal.
• Mona Agarwal: Bronze in the women’s 10m air rifle at the Paris Paralympics.
• Rubina Francis: Bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol SH-1 final at the Paris Paralympics.

The Arjuna Award is one of India’s highest sports honors, recognizing athletes who have consistently performed at the highest levels of their sport. This year’s recipients showcased exceptional skills and determination, bringing glory to the nation through their hard work and achievements.