India’s highest sporting honour has been awarded to 65 athletes across more than three decades, recognising excellence in cricket, hockey, chess, athletics, shooting, wrestling, and beyond.
First presented in 1991–92 as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, it was renamed on 6 August 2021 in honour of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand.
The most recent recipients, announced on 2 January 2025 and conferred on 17 January 2025, are Manu Bhaker, D. Gukesh, Harmanpreet Singh, and Praveen Kumar.
Quick Facts
- Instituted: 1991–92 as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award; renamed 6 August 2021
- Governed by: Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India
- Cash prize: ₹25 lakh (increased from ₹7.5 lakh in 2021), plus a medallion and certificate
- First recipient: Viswanathan Anand (Chess), 1991–92
- Performance window: Outstanding achievements over the preceding four years are evaluated
- Most awarded year: 2021 — 12 athletes honoured in a single year
- Most recent winners (2024): Manu Bhaker, D. Gukesh, Harmanpreet Singh, Praveen Kumar
What Is the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award?
The award is India’s apex recognition in sport, presented annually by the President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
It acknowledges exceptional and consistent performance at major international events, the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championships, and equivalent tournaments. Recipients receive a medallion, a certificate of merit, and a cash prize of ₹25 lakh (revised upward from ₹7.5 lakh in 2021).
Why Was It Renamed?
Until 6 August 2021, the award was known as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, named after India’s sixth Prime Minister. PM Narendra Modi announced the renaming citing widespread public sentiment, rechristening it in honour of Major Dhyan Chand (1905–1979), widely regarded as the greatest field hockey player of all time.
Dhyan Chand scored more than 1,000 goals across a 20-year international career (1926–1948) and was instrumental in India winning Olympic gold in 1928, 1932, and 1936. His birth anniversary, 29 August, is observed as National Sports Day in India.
Major Dhyan Chand: The Man Behind the Award
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Major Dhyan Chand Singh |
| Born | 29 August 1905, Prayagraj |
| Died | 3 December 1979 |
| Sport | Field Hockey |
| International career | 1926–1948 |
| Olympic gold medals | 3 (1928, 1932, 1936) |
| Goals scored | More than 1,000 |
| Nickname | The Hockey Wizard / The Magician |
| Army rank | Major, Indian Army |
| National honour | Padma Bhushan (1956) |
Dhyan Chand’s dominance was so absolute that Adolf Hitler reportedly offered him a position in the German Army during the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He declined.
History and Milestones
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1991–92 | Award instituted; first given to Viswanathan Anand |
| 1997–98 | Sachin Tendulkar becomes the first cricketer to receive the award |
| 2001 | Abhinav Bindra receives the award at age 18 |
| 2007 | MS Dhoni honoured — second cricketer to win |
| 2009 | First year three athletes awarded together: Mary Kom, Vijender Singh, Sushil Kumar |
| 2016 | Four athletes awarded: PV Sindhu, Dipa Karmakar, Jitu Rai, Sakshi Malik |
| 2018 | Virat Kohli and Mirabai Chanu receive the award |
| 6 August 2021 | Award officially renamed to Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award |
| 2021 | Largest-ever cohort: 12 athletes; cash prize raised to ₹25 lakh |
| 17 January 2025 | 2024 National Sports Awards conferred at Rashtrapati Bhavan |
Eligibility Criteria
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports evaluates nominees through a committee of eminent sportspersons and administrators. Key criteria: the athlete must be an Indian citizen; performance is assessed over a rolling four-year window; achievements at the Olympics, Paralympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and World Championships carry the highest weightage; nominees must also demonstrate sportsmanship, leadership, and discipline.
Nominations can come from National Sports Federations, the Indian Olympic Association, the Paralympic Committee of India, the Sports Authority of India, or private individuals.
Spotlight: Neeraj Chopra
Born on 24 December 1997 in Khandra village, Panipat, Haryana, Neeraj Chopra grew up in a farming family with no significant athletics infrastructure nearby. A chance introduction to the javelin throw set him on a path that would redefine Indian athletics.
| Year | Achievement |
|---|---|
| 2016 | Gold at IAAF Under-20 World Championships, Bydgoszcz (86.48m — world junior record) |
| 2018 | Gold at Commonwealth Games and Asian Games; Arjuna Award |
| 7 Aug 2021 | Olympic gold, Tokyo — first Indian to win Olympic gold in athletics (87.58m) |
| 2021 | Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award |
| 2022 | Padma Shri; Diamond League Final champion — first Indian to win a Diamond League title |
| 2023 | World Athletics Championship gold, Budapest — first Indian world title in track and field |
| Aug 2024 | Silver at Paris Olympics (89.45m) |
| May 2025 | National record: 90.23m, Doha Diamond League — first time crossing the 90m barrier |
| Oct 2025 | Conferred honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel by the Indian Army |
His rise was supported by the government’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), which funded coaching stints in Europe, access to elite biomechanics experts, and international competition exposure. Between 2012 and 2025, he competed in 79 international competitions, finishing on the podium in 64, an 81% podium rate.
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award Winners List (1991–2025)
| Year | Athlete | Sport |
|---|---|---|
| 1991–92 | Viswanathan Anand | Chess |
| 1992–93 | Geet Sethi | Billiards |
| 1993–94 | Homi Motivala | Yachting |
| 1993–94 | P. K. Garg | Yachting |
| 1994–95 | Karnam Malleswari | Weightlifting |
| 1995–96 | N. Kunjarani Devi | Weightlifting |
| 1996–97 | Leander Paes | Tennis |
| 1997–98 | Sachin Tendulkar | Cricket |
| 1998–99 | Jyotirmoyee Sikdar | Athletics |
| 1999–2000 | Dhanraj Pillay | Hockey |
| 2000–01 | Pullela Gopichand | Badminton |
| 2001 | Abhinav Bindra | Shooting |
| 2002 | K. M. Beenamol | Athletics |
| 2002 | Anjali Bhagwat | Shooting |
| 2003 | Anju Bobby George | Athletics |
| 2004 | Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore | Shooting |
| 2005 | Pankaj Advani | Billiards & Snooker |
| 2006 | Manavjit Singh Sandhu | Shooting |
| 2007 | M. S. Dhoni | Cricket |
| 2009 | Mary Kom | Boxing |
| 2009 | Vijender Singh | Boxing |
| 2009 | Sushil Kumar | Freestyle Wrestling |
| 2010 | Saina Nehwal | Badminton |
| 2011 | Gagan Narang | Shooting |
| 2012 | Vijay Kumar | Shooting |
| 2012 | Yogeshwar Dutt | Freestyle Wrestling |
| 2013 | Ronjan Sodhi | Shooting |
| 2015 | Sania Mirza | Tennis |
| 2016 | P. V. Sindhu | Badminton |
| 2016 | Dipa Karmakar | Gymnastics |
| 2016 | Jitu Rai | Shooting |
| 2016 | Sakshi Malik | Freestyle Wrestling |
| 2017 | Devendra Jhajaria | Para-Athletics |
| 2017 | Sardar Singh | Hockey |
| 2018 | Mirabai Chanu | Weightlifting |
| 2018 | Virat Kohli | Cricket |
| 2019 | Deepa Malik | Para-Athletics |
| 2019 | Bajrang Punia | Freestyle Wrestling |
| 2020 | Rohit Sharma | Cricket |
| 2020 | Mariyappan Thangavelu | Para-Athletics |
| 2020 | Manika Batra | Table Tennis |
| 2020 | Vinesh Phogat | Freestyle Wrestling |
| 2020 | Rani Rampal | Hockey |
| 2021 | Neeraj Chopra | Athletics |
| 2021 | Ravi Kumar Dahiya | Freestyle Wrestling |
| 2021 | Lovlina Borgohain | Boxing |
| 2021 | P. R. Sreejesh | Hockey |
| 2021 | Avani Lekhara | Paralympic Shooting |
| 2021 | Sumit Antil | Para-Athletics |
| 2021 | Pramod Bhagat | Para-Badminton |
| 2021 | Krishna Nagar | Para-Badminton |
| 2021 | Manish Narwal | Para Shooting |
| 2021 | Mithali Raj | Cricket |
| 2021 | Sunil Chhetri | Football |
| 2021 | Manpreet Singh | Hockey |
| 2022 | Sharath Kamal | Table Tennis |
| 2023 | Satwiksairaj Rankireddy | Badminton |
| 2023 | Chirag Shetty | Badminton |
| 2024 | Manu Bhaker | Shooting |
| 2024 | D. Gukesh | Chess |
| 2024 | Harmanpreet Singh | Hockey |
| 2024 | Praveen Kumar | Para-Athletics |
| 2025 | Ankita Raina | Tennis |
| 2025 | Neeraj Chopra | Athletics |
| 2025 | Mirabai Chanu | Weightlifting |
| 2025 | R. Praggnanandhaa | Chess |
Sport-Wise Breakdown
| Sport | Winners |
|---|---|
| Shooting | 9 |
| Athletics (incl. Para) | 8 |
| Hockey | 7 |
| Freestyle Wrestling | 6 |
| Badminton | 6 |
| Cricket | 5 |
| Boxing | 3 |
| Weightlifting | 3 |
| Chess | 4 |
| Para-Athletics | 6 |
| Table Tennis | 2 |
| Tennis | 3 |
| Para-Badminton | 2 |
| Billiards & Snooker | 2 |
| Yachting | 2 |
| Gymnastics | 1 |
| Football | 1 |
Shooting leads the overall tally, reflecting India’s strength in the discipline through the 2000s and 2010s. Hockey follows closely, a nod to India’s historical dominance.
The 2021 cohort significantly boosted athletics and para-sports counts owing to India’s exceptional medal haul at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
Cricketers Who Have Won the Khel Ratna Award
Only five cricketers have received the Khel Ratna in over three decades, a reflection of the award’s selectivity, which is based on verified performance over a four-year window rather than popularity.
| Cricketer | Year | Notable context |
|---|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar | 1997–98 | First cricketer to win; dominant run-scoring across formats |
| M. S. Dhoni | 2007 | Led India to T20 World Cup victory |
| Virat Kohli | 2018 | Consistent match-winning performances across all formats |
| Rohit Sharma | 2020 | Outstanding ODI record |
| Mithali Raj | 2021 | Record run-scorer in women’s internationals |
Khel Ratna vs Other National Sports Awards
| Award | Scope | Prize Money | Presented By |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna | Highest honour — exceptional performance | ₹25 lakh | President of India |
| Arjuna Award | Outstanding performance over 4 years | ₹15 lakh | President of India |
| Dronacharya Award | Excellence in coaching | ₹15 lakh / ₹10 lakh | President of India |
| Dhyan Chand Award | Lifetime contribution to sport | ₹10 lakh | President of India |
| Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar | Entities promoting sports | Trophy | President of India |
Significance of the Award
The Khel Ratna is not merely ceremonial, it carries real weight in policy, funding, and public recognition. Recipients often receive priority consideration for government sports schemes and post-career support.
For most athletes outside cricket and badminton, it is the single highest point of public recognition in their careers. The 2021 cohort’s inclusion of five para-athletes marked a long-overdue acknowledgement of India’s growing Paralympic excellence, and the trend has continued with Praveen Kumar’s 2024 award.
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Final Words
The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award winners list is a record of India’s evolving relationship with elite sport.
From chess and billiards dominating the early years to shooting’s golden era in the 2000s and today’s multi-sport explosion across athletics, para-sports, and hockey, the list mirrors exactly where India has punched above its weight internationally.
The 2021 expansion to 12 recipients in a single year marked a turning point, and the 2023–2025 awards, honouring badminton doubles partners, a chess world champion, and Paralympic gold medallists, confirm that Indian sporting excellence is no longer confined to two or three disciplines.
The award remains selective by design, and that selectivity is precisely what keeps its standard high.
FAQs
Viswanathan Anand (Chess), 1991–92, when the award was still named the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.
On 6 August 2021, PM Narendra Modi announced the renaming in honour of Major Dhyan Chand.
₹25 lakh, along with a medallion and certificate. Increased from ₹7.5 lakh in 2021.
Manu Bhaker (Shooting), D. Gukesh (Chess), Harmanpreet Singh (Hockey), and Praveen Kumar (Para-Athletics), conferred on 17 January 2025.
Ankita Raina (Tennis), Neeraj Chopra (Athletics), Mirabai Chanu (Weightlifting), and R. Praggnanandhaa (Chess).
Five — Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Mithali Raj.
65 athletes across approximately 17 sports disciplines from 1991 through 2025.
