The Arjuna Award, officially known as Arjuna Awards for Outstanding Performance in Sports and Games, is the second-highest sporting honour of India, the highest being the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. The award is named after Arjuna, one of the characters of the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata of ancient India. In Hinduism, he has been seen as a symbol of hard work, dedication and concentration. It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Before the introduction of the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in 1991–1992, the Arjuna award was the highest sporting honour of India. The nominations for the award are received from all government recognised National Sports Federations, the Indian Olympic Association, the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the Sports Promotion and Control Boards, the state and the union territory governments and the Major Dhyan Chandra Khel Ratna, Arjuna, Dhyan Chand and Dronacharya awardees of the previous years. The recipients are selected by a committee constituted by the Ministry and are honoured for their "good performance in the field of sports over a period of four years" at the international level and for having shown "qualities of leadership, sportsmanship and a sense of discipline." As of 2020, the award comprises "a bronze statuette of Arjuna, certificate, ceremonial dress, and a cash prize of ₹15 lakh (US$19,000)."
Jeev Milkha Singh Rathore is an Indian professional golfer who became the first player from India to join the European Tour in 1998. He has won four events on the European Tour, becoming the most successful Indian on tour. He was the first Indian golfer to break into the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking in October 2006. The Government of India awarded him the civilian honour of Padma Shri in 2007. He is also the recipient of 1999 Arjuna Award.
Jimmy George was an Indian volleyball player and captain of the India national volleyball team. Often dubbed the God of Indian volleyball, he is considered as one of the greatest volleyball players of all time.
Abdul Basith Siddiqui was a captain of the India men's national volleyball team. He was a member of the team that won the bronze medal in the 1986 Seoul Asian games, beating Japan. He also represented India in Asian games of 1978 and 1982.
G E Sridharan is a former India men's national volleyball team player from Tamil Nadu, India who played during the late 1970s to late 1980s. He was the second player from Tamil Nadu to receive Arjuna Award in 1982. He is the current coach for India men's national volleyball team and former coach for Tamil Nadu Volleball team. He's one of the efficient coach who took Indian youth volleyball to a new height winning gold in Asian volleyball Championship. He was awarded Dronacharya Award in 2008, which many people feel its given too late in his life, seeing his achievements list lying before.
Balwant Singh, popularly known as Ballu, was an Indian volleyball player, considered a star of the India men's national volleyball team. His son Narender is a professional volleyball player who plays for the Indian volleyball Team. Kaul village panchayat also organised Balwant Singh Memorial tournament after his death in the village.
The Major Dhyan Chand Award, officially known as Major Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sports and Games, is the lifetime achievement sporting honour of the Republic of India. The award is named after hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand (1905–79), a legendary Indian field hockey player who scored more than 1000 international goals during a career which spanned over 20 years from 1926 to 1948. It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. 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. As of 2020, the award comprises a statuette, a certificate, ceremonial dress, and a cash prize of ₹10 lakh (US$13,000).
The India men's national volleyball team represents India in international volleyball competitions. It is managed by the Volleyball Federation of India and is currently sponsored by Sahara India Pariwar and Asics.
Cyril Chakkunny Valloor is a former India men's national volleyball team player from Kerala. He represented the country in several competitions, including the 1986 Seoul Asian Games where he captained the Indian team that won the bronze medal. This was arguably one of the best volleyball team sent by India to an Asian games. In the 1980s, Indian volleyball was a force to reckon with when Jimmy George and Cyril Valloor played for the country.
Arikapudi Ramana Rao is a former Indian volleyball player. He was born in Chamallamudi village, Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh. He is a recipient of both the Arjuna Award for the year 1977–1978 and Dronacharya Award for the year 1990–1991.
K. J. Kapil Dev is an Indian volleyball player from Varkala, Trivandrum. He represented India in many international competitions. Kapil also led the Indian National Volleyball Team on a number of occasions, including the Rashid Memorial International Volleyball Tournament held at Dubai in July 2006 and 15th Asian Games at Doha. He was also a member of Indian team that won the title in South Asian Games at Dhaka in 2010. At the national level championships, Kapil represents Indian Railways. He currently plays for Chennai Spartans in Pro Volleyball League.
Nripjit Singh Bedi was a volleyball player who was a member of the Indian national team and competed in the silver medal-winning effort at the 4th Asian Games. Bedi received the Arjuna Award from the Government of India in 1962. The Indian athlete's volleyball career lasted for 23 years. He served as a Commandant with the Border Security Force (BSF) of Punjab before his 1995 retirement.
Karunakarakurup Udayakumar was an India men's national volleyball team player known for his allround skills at offence and defence and a member of the Indian volleyball team during what many consider as the golden era of Indian volleyball. A former captain of the Indian national volleyball team, Udayakumar was a member of the team, which included Jimmy George and Cyril C. Valloor, that won the Bronze medal in the 1986 Asian Games held in Seoul. Udayakumar played for the Kerala police Volleyball team. The Government of India, in 1991, honoured his services to Indian volleyball by bestowing on him, the second highest Indian sports award, the Arjuna Award.
Tom Joseph is an Indian former volleyball player who played for India in many international competitions. He is currently the head coach of Prime Volleyball League team Hyderabad Black Hawks. He got the Arjuna Award in 2014 for his great performance in volleyball throughout the year.
Pusarla Venkata Ramana is a former professional volleyball player and an employee of Indian Railways in Secunderabad. He was a member of the India men's national volleyball team. In the 1986 Asian Games, he was part of the team that won a bronze medal. He was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2000 for his contribution to Indian volleyball.
The National Sports Awards is the collective name given to the six sports awards of the 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. Since 2004, Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award is also given alongside the other sports awards. As of 2020, a total of 1,259 individuals and organizations have been awarded the various National Sports Awards.
India 