Hardik Singh Recommended for Khel Ratna as Sports Ministry Panel Finalises Top National Sports Awards

New Delhi, Dec 2025 : Two-time Olympic bronze medallist and Indian men’s hockey midfielder Hardik Singh has been recommended for the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, the highest sporting honour conferred by the Government of India. The recommendation was made by a high-level selection committee constituted by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, which met in New Delhi on Wednesday to finalise names for the country’s top sports awards.

The 27-year-old Hardik Singh emerged as the sole nominee for the Khel Ratna this year, recognising his outstanding and consistent contributions to Indian hockey over the last two years. A key member of the national side, Hardik has played a pivotal role in India’s back-to-back Olympic bronze medal triumphs at the Tokyo Games and the Paris Olympics. His influence in the midfield has been central to the team’s resurgence on the global stage.

In addition to Olympic success, Hardik was part of the Indian squad that clinched the gold medal at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou and lifted the Asia Cup title in 2025 at Rajgir. Born in Khusropur, Punjab, Hardik has become a mainstay of the Indian men’s hockey team, earning 166 international caps so far. He is currently employed with the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).

With Hardik’s recommendation, the list of hockey players to receive the Khel Ratna continues to grow. So far, six hockey players have been conferred the honour — Dhanraj Pillay (1999–2000), Sardar Singh (2017), Rani Rampal (2020), PR Sreejesh (2021), Manpreet Singh (2021), and Harmanpreet Singh (2024). Last year, Harmanpreet Singh shared the award with Olympic shooter Manu Bhaker, chess prodigy D Gukesh, and para-athlete Praveen Kumar.

Sources indicated that Hardik Singh was the only name recommended by the committee for the Khel Ratna this year. The decision, however, surprised many, as no member of the Indian women’s cricket team — which created history by winning its maiden Women’s ODI World Cup title last month — featured among the recommendations.

Alongside the Khel Ratna, the selection committee recommended 24 sportspersons for the Arjuna Award, recognising excellence and sustained performance across a wide range of disciplines. Notably, Aarti Pal became the first yogasana athlete to be recommended for the Arjuna Award. Aarti is the reigning national and Asian champion in yogasana, a discipline that will be showcased as a demonstration sport at the Asian Games in Japan next year.

Several prominent names from athletics, shooting, gymnastics, badminton, chess, and para-sports also found a place on the Arjuna Award list. Among them are rifle shooter Mehuli Ghosh, gymnast Pranati Nayak, and India’s top-ranked women’s badminton pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand. Chess grandmasters Vidit Santosh Gujarati and Divya Deshmukh were also recommended for their strong international performances.

Other recommended athletes include polo player Padmanabh Singh, wrestler Sonam Malik, table tennis star Sutirtha Mukherjee, para-shooter Rudransh Khandelwal, Olympian rower Arvind Singh, and para-athlete Ekta Bhyan. Hockey players Rajkumar Pal and Lalremsiami, boxer Narender, kabaddi players Surjeet and Pooja, kho kho player Nirmala Bhati, and athletes Tejaswin Shankar, Priyanka, and Mohammed Afsal also feature on the list.

Significantly, no cricketer has been recommended for the Arjuna Award this year. Indian pacer Mohammed Shami was the last cricketer to receive the honour in 2023.

The committee did not recommend any names for the Dronacharya Award or the Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award this year.

Recommendations
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award: Hardik Singh (Hockey)

Arjuna Award: Tejaswin Shankar, Priyanka, Narender, Vidit Gujrathi, Divya Deshmukh, Dhanush Srikanth, Pranati Nayak, Rajkumar Pal, Surjeet, Nirmala Bhati, Rudransh Khandelwal, Ekta Bhyan, Padmanabh Singh, Arvind Singh, Akhil Sheoran, Mehuli Ghosh, Sutirtha Mukherjee, Sonam Malik, Aarti Pal, Treesa Jolly, Gayatri Gopichand, Lalremsiami, Mohammed Afsal, and Pooja.

Team Maverick.