National Sports Awards 2017 announced

The Union Government on 22 August 2017 announced the National Sports Awards. Para athlete Devendra and hockey player Sardar Singh will be honoured with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.

Cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara and football player Oinam Bembem Devi have also been selected for the top national sports award.

National Sports Awards are given every year to recognize and reward excellence in sports.

The awardees will receive their awards from the President of India at a specially organized function at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on 29 August 2017.

Complete list of the awardees:

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna 2017

• The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna is the highest sporting honour of India.

• The award is named after Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India who served the office from 1984 to 1989.

• The recipient(s) is/are selected by a committee constituted by the Ministry and is honoured for their "spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports over a period of four years" at international level.

• The award comprises a medallion, a citation, and a cash prize of Rupees 7.5 lakh.

Dronacharya Awards 2017

• The Dronacharya Award is sports coaching honour of India.

• The award is named after Drona, often referred as "Dronacharya" or "Guru Drona", a character from the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata of ancient India.

• Recipients are selected by a committee constituted by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and are honoured to have done "outstanding and meritorious work on a consistent basis and enabled sportspersons to excel in international events" over a period of four years.

• Two awards are designated for the lifetime contribution in coaching where the achievements in producing "outstanding sportspersons" over a period of 20 years or more are considered.

• The award comprises a bronze statuette of Dronacharya, a certificate, ceremonial dress, and a cash prize of Rupees 5 lakh.

Arjuna Awards 2017

• The Arjuna Awards are given by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to recognize outstanding achievement in National sports.

• Instituted in 1961, the award carries a cash prize of Rupees 5 lakh, a bronze statue of Arjuna and a scroll.

Dhyan Chand Award 2017

• The Dhyan Chand Award is the lifetime achievement sporting honour of India.

• The award is named after Dhyan Chand, an Indian field hockey player.

• Recipients are selected by a committee constituted by the Ministry and are honoured for their contributions to sport both during their active sporting career and after retirement.

• The award comprises a statuette, a certificate, ceremonial dress, and a cash prize of Rupees 5 lakh.