Khel Ratna Award

Not to be confused with Dhyan Chand Award.

Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award
Highest sporting honour of the Republic of India
Virat Kohli receiving Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 2018
Awarded forSporting excellence
Sponsored byGovernment of India
VenueRashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi
CountryIndia
Presented byPresident of India
EligibilityIndian sportsperson
Hosted byMinistry of Youth Affairs and Sports
Formerly calledRajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (1992–2021)
Reward(s)₹25 lakh (US$30,000) and a medallion
StatusIn force
Established1992
First awarded1991–92
Last awarded2023
Most recent winnerSatwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty
Highlights
Total awarded60
First winnerViswanathan Anand
Precedence
Next (lower)Arjuna Award

The Khel Ratna Award (Hindi pronunciation: [kʰeːl rət̪nə]), officially known as the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (transl. Major Dhyan Chand Sport Jewel Award) or formerly known as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, is the highest sporting honour of India.[1] It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India.

Recipients are selected by a committee constituted by the Ministry and honoured for their "spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports over a period of four years" at an international level. As of 2020, the award comprises a medallion, a certificate, and a cash prize of ₹25 lakh (US$30,000).[a]

Instituted in 1991–1992, the award was given for the performance by a sportsperson in a year. Based on the suggestions provided by 2014 award selection committee, the Ministry revised the criteria in February 2015 to consider the performance over a period of four years. The nominations for a given year are accepted till 30 April or last working day of April with not more than two sportspersons nominated for each sports discipline. A twelve-member committee evaluates the performances of a sportsperson at various International events which include the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games. The committee later submits their recommendations to the Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports for further approval. The award from 1991 to 2021 was named after Rajiv Gandhi (1944–1991), the 6th Prime Minister of India.

The award since August 6, 2021 is named after Major Dhyan Chand (1905–79), an Indian field hockey player, widely regarded as one of the greatest field hockey player of all time, who scored more than 1000 goals over a career that spanned over 20 years from 1926 to 1948.[7]

The first recipient of the award was chess Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand, who was honoured for the performance in the year 1991–92. In 2001, sport shooter Abhinav Bindra, then aged 18, became the youngest recipient of the award.[8]

Usually conferred upon only one sportsperson in a year, a few exceptions have been made (1993–1994, 2002, 2009, 2012, and 2016–2021) when multiple recipients were awarded in a year.

As of 2023, there have been 59 recipients across sixteen sport disciplines: athletics, badminton, billiards, boxing, chess, cricket, field hockey, football, gymnastics, para-athletics, para-badminton, para-shooting, shooting, snooker, table tennis, tennis, wrestling, weightlifting, and yacht racing.

  1. ^ "Sania Mirza conferred with Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award". The Indian Express. New Delhi. 29 August 2015. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference RGKR98 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference RGKR99 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference RGKR1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference RGKR9 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Khel Ratna awardees to receive 25 lakh, 15 lakh for Arjuna awardees". The Indian Express. 29 August 2020. Archived from the original on 16 September 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  7. ^ "Discover hockey's answer to Pele". 26 February 2004. Archived from the original on 1 September 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  8. ^ "5 Interesting Facts About Abhinav Bindra". The Times of India. 23 September 2014. Archived from the original on 21 June 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2016.


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