Sports Ministry Revamps Lifetime Achievement Honors

The sports ministry announced the replacement of the Dhyan Chand Award for lifetime achievement with the Arjuna Award (Lifetime), simplifying the nation's sporting honors. The change aims to better recognize lifelong contributions to sports development. Coaches now qualify for the Dronacharya Award.

The sports ministry has made significant changes by discontinuing the Dhyan Chand Award for lifetime achievement, introducing the Arjuna Award (Lifetime) in its place, as part of efforts to simplify the range of national sports honors.

Originally established in 2002, the Dhyan Chand Lifetime Award was named after renowned hockey player Major Dhyan Chand, and it recognized contributions in Olympic, Paralympic, Asian, and Commonwealth Games sports. It last honored Manjusha Kanwar, Vineet Kumar, and Kavitha Selvaraj in 2023.

In a recent statement, the ministry outlined that the Arjuna Award (Lifetime) will now commemorate lifelong contributions to sports development. Additionally, coaches at grassroots levels can now receive the Dronacharya Award, while the MAKA Trophy will honor top performances in the Khelo India University Games. The application deadline for the 2024 national sports awards is November 14.

(With inputs from agencies.)