National Sports Awards 2023: 42 Questions & Answers

1. What are the National Sports Awards and their significance in India?

The National Sports Awards are the highest honors in Indian sports, recognizing excellence, promoting sportsmanship, and fostering national pride. Administered by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, the awards aim to highlight exceptional performances at national and international levels.

2. How many categories are there in the National Sports Awards, and what are they?

There are six main categories: Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, Arjuna Award, Dronacharya Award, Major Dhyan Chand Award, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy (MAKA), and Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar. Additionally, the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award has been given since 2004.

3. Who is Major Dhyan Chand, and why is the Khel Ratna Award named after him?

Major Dhyan Chand was an Indian hockey legend known for his exceptional skills. The Khel Ratna Award is named after him to honor his contribution to the sport, particularly India's Olympic gold victories in 1928, 1932, and 1936.

4. What is the significance of the Khel Ratna Award, and who are some notable recipients?

The Khel Ratna is India's highest sporting honor, awarded for outstanding performances over four years. Recipients include MC Mary Kom, PV Sindhu, Sachin Tendulkar, and Abhinav Bindra, with the youngest winner being Abhinav Bindra at 18.

5. When was the Arjuna Award instituted, and why is it named after a character from the Mahabharata?

The Arjuna Award was instituted in 1961 and is named after Arjuna, the Mahabharata character, to honor athletes exhibiting consistent outstanding performance over four years.

6. Who was the first woman to receive the Arjuna Award, and in which sport?

Hockey player Anna Lumsden was the first woman to receive the Arjuna Award.

7. What is the Dronacharya Award, and who was the first woman to receive it?

Instituted in 1985, the Dronacharya Award is India's highest sports honor for coaches. The first woman to receive it was athletics coach Renu Kohli in 2002.

8. What is the Major Dhyan Chand Award, and who were its first recipients?

The Major Dhyan Chand Award is for lifetime achievements in sports, instituted in 2002. The first recipients were Shahuraj Birajdar for boxing, Ashok Diwan for hockey, and Aparna Ghosh for basketball.

9. When was the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy instituted, and what does it reward?

Instituted in 1956-57, the MAKA Trophy is awarded to institutions or universities for top performance in inter-university tournaments over the past year.

10. What is the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar, and when was it instituted?

Instituted in 2009, the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar is given to organizations and individuals promoting sports development, focusing on talent identification, CSR, employment, and sports for development.

11. What is the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award, and when was it instituted?

Instituted in 1993-1994, the award recognizes achievements in adventure sports. Notable recipients include members of the successful Indo-Napalese women’s Everest expedition of 1993.

12. When were the National Sports Awards for 2023 announced, and when will the recipients receive their awards?

The National Sports Awards for 2023 were announced by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports on December 20. The award ceremony is scheduled for January 9, 2024, at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

13. How are the awardees selected for the National Sports Awards?

The awardees are selected through an online application process. A Selection Committee, headed by Justice A. M. Khanwilkar, considers applications and nominations, with members from sportspersons, sports journalists, and sports administrators.

14. Who are some of the sportspersons receiving the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2023?

The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award for 2023 is conferred upon sportspersons Chirag Chandrashekhar Shetty and Rankireddy Satwik Sai Raj for their achievements in badminton.

15. Who are the recipients of the Arjuna Awards for outstanding performance in Sports and Games in 2023?

Some of the recipients include Ojas Pravin Deotale (Archery), Aditi Gopichand Swami (Archery), Sreeshankar M (Athletics), and Mohammed Shami (Cricket), among others.

16. Which coaches are receiving the Dronacharya Award in 2023, and in which disciplines?

In the regular category, coaches Lalit Kumar (Wrestling), R. B. Ramesh (Chess), and others are being honored. In the lifetime category, Jaskirat Singh Grewal (Golf), Bhaskaran E (Kabaddi), and others are recognized.

17. Who are the recipients of the Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime achievement in Sports and Games in 2023?

The Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime achievement in 2023 is being conferred upon Manjusha Kanwar (Badminton), Vineet Kumar Sharma (Hockey), and Kavitha Selvaraj (Kabaddi).

18. What is the significance of the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar, and who received it in 2023?

The Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar recognizes organizations and individuals for sports promotion. In 2023, the awardees include Tata Steel Limited for Community Sports Identification and Nurturing of Budding Talent, and Establishment and Management of Sports Academies of Excellence.

19. Who were the first recipients of the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) award in 1956-57?

Bombay University was the first recipient of the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) award in 1956-57 for promoting competitive sports and excellence in sports.

20. What are the different segments in which the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar nominees are decided?

The Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar nominees are decided in four segments: identification and nurturing of budding talent, encouragement to sports through CSR, employment of sportspersons and sports welfare measures, and sports for development.

21. Who was the first-ever recipient of the Khel Ratna Award, and in which year?

The first Khel Ratna award in 1991-1992 was presented to chess grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand and English Billiards player Geet Sethi.

22. Who is the youngest sportsperson to have won the Khel Ratna Award, and in which year?

Pistol shooter Abhinav Bindra is the youngest sportsperson to win the Khel Ratna. He received the award in 2001 at the age of 18.

23. Who was the first Indian woman to receive the Khel Ratna, and in which year?

Olympic bronze medal-winning weightlifter Karnam Malleswari was the first Indian woman to receive the Khel Ratna in 1994-95.

24. What is the MAKA Trophy, and who instituted it?

The Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy is the oldest National Sports Award in India, instituted in 1956–1957. It is awarded to an institution or university for top performance in inter-university tournaments.

25. What is the criterion for awarding the Dronacharya Award, and who were the first recipients in 1985?

The Dronacharya Award is given for producing medal winners at prestigious international events. The first recipients in 1985 were wrestling coach Bhalchandra Bhaskar Bhagwat, boxing mentor Om Prakash Bharadwaj, and athletics coach OM Nambiar.

26. Who were the first recipients of the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award in 1994?

In 1994, the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award was given to 19 Indian members of the successful Indo-Napalese women’s Everest expedition of 1993, including Bachendri Pal, Santosh Yadav, and Dicky Dolma.

27. When was the National Adventure Award for 2020 conferred, and who were some of the recipients?

In 2020, the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award was conferred upon individuals, including Lieutenants Colonel Servesh Dhadwal and Colonel Amit Bisht of the Indian Army for their skydiving activities.

28. How many categories are there in the National Sports Awards, and what are they?

29. What is the significance of the Khel Ratna Award, and who are some notable recipients?

30. When was the Arjuna Award instituted, and why is it named after a character from the Mahabharata?

The Arjuna Award was instituted in 1961 and is named after Arjuna, the Mahabharata character, to honor athletes exhibiting consistent outstanding performance over four years.

31. Who was the first woman to receive the Arjuna Award, and in which sport?

Hockey player Anna Lumsden was the first woman to receive the Arjuna Award.

32. What is the Dronacharya Award, and who was the first woman to receive it?

Instituted in 1985, the Dronacharya Award is India's highest sports honor for coaches. The first woman to receive it was athletics coach Renu Kohli in 2002.

33. What is the Major Dhyan Chand Award, and who were its first recipients?

34. When was the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy instituted, and what does it reward?

Instituted in 1956-57, the MAKA Trophy is awarded to institutions or universities for top performance in inter-university tournaments over the past year.

35. What is the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar, and when was it instituted?

36. Who were the first recipients of the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award in 1994?

37. When were the National Sports Awards for 2023 announced, and when will the recipients receive their awards?

The National Sports Awards for 2023 were announced by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports on December 20. The award ceremony is scheduled for January 9, 2024, at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

38. How are the awardees selected for the National Sports Awards?

39. Who are some of the sportspersons receiving the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2023?

The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award for 2023 is conferred upon sportspersons Chirag Chandrashekhar Shetty and Rankireddy Satwik Sai Raj for their achievements in badminton.

40. Who are the recipients of the Arjuna Awards for outstanding performance in Sports and Games in 2023?

Some of the recipients include Ojas Pravin Deotale (Archery), Aditi Gopichand Swami (Archery), Sreeshankar M (Athletics), and Mohammed Shami (Cricket), among others.

41. Which coaches are receiving the Dronacharya Award in 2023, and in which disciplines?

42. Who are the recipients of the Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime achievement in Sports and Games in 2023?

The Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime achievement in 2023 is being conferred upon Manjusha Kanwar (Badminton), Vineet Kumar Sharma (Hockey), and Kavitha Selvaraj (Kabaddi).

National Sports Awards 2023: 42 Questions & Answers

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