| National Sports Awards in Hockey | |
|---|---|
| Various civilian awards for contributions to Sports (Individual/Team) | |
 | |
| Awarded for | Various sports honour of India |
| Sponsored by | Government of India |
| Location | Rashtrapati Bhavan |
| Country | Republic of India |
| Presented by | President of India |
| First awarded | 1961 |
| Last awarded | 2022 |
| Highlights | |
| Total awarded | 123 |
| Awards | |
The National Sports Awards is the collective name given to the six sports awards of Republic of India. It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. They are presented by the President of India in the same ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan usually on 29 August each year along with the national adventure award. As of 2020 [update] , a total of one hundred and twenty-three individuals have been awarded the various National Sports Awards in hockey. The four awards presented in hockey are Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award, Dhyan Chand Award and Dronacharya Award. [1]
Contents
First presented in the year 1961, a total of ninety individuals have been honoured with the Arjuna Award in hockey for their "good performance at the international level" over the period of last four years, with seven individuals being awarded for their lifetime contribution. [2] First presented in the year 2000, a total of thirteen coaches have been honoured with the Dronacharya Award in hockey for their "outstanding work on a consistent basis and enabling sportspersons to excel in international events" over the period of last four years, with five coaches being awarded in the lifetime contribution category. [3] First presented in the year 1999–2000, a total of three sportspersons have been honoured with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the highest sporting honour of India, in hockey for their "most outstanding performance at the international level" over the period of last four years. [4] First presented in the year 2002, a total of seventeen retired sportspersons have been honoured with the Dhyan Chand Award, the lifetime achievement sporting honour of India, in hockey for their "good performance at the international level and their continued contributions to the promotion of sports even after their career as a sportsperson is over." [5] One awardee Surjit Singh Randhawa was honoured Arjuna Award posthumously in the year 1998. [1]
