New Delhi, Jan 25 (PTI) The Padma Awards 2026, announced on the eve of Republic Day, recognised several achievers from the world of sports for their exceptional contributions over many years.
Here are small sketches of the sports personalities awarded this year.
Padma Bhushan ============ Vijay Amritraj: Widely regarded as a trailblazer in Indian tennis, having broken significant barriers on the international stage during the 1970s and 1980s while paving the way for future generations of players in Asia.
Reached the quarterfinals at both Wimbledon and the US Open twice, which cemented his status as a star, and achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 16 in July 1980, the highest ever for an Indian player in the Open Era.
Led India to the Davis Cup finals in 1974 and 1987, the only times the country has reached the final in the Open Era.
Padma Shri ========= Rohit Sharma: Awarded the country’s fourth highest civilian award for achieving unprecedented heights in international cricket, including leading India to two ICC titles and amassing runs with his incredible range of strokes all over the world.
Holds the record for the highest individual score in ODIs (264 vs Sri Lanka) and is the only player with three ODI double-centuries. Has the most centuries in a single ODI World Cup (5 in 2019) and the most sixes in international cricket.
Captained Mumbai Indians to five Indian Premier League titles (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020).
Harmanpreet Kaur: A pathbreaker in her won right, she led India to its first-ever Women’s World Cup title in November 2025, beating South Africa in the final.
Kaur is the first Indian to sign an overseas T20 league contract and holds the record for the highest individual score in an ICC World Cup knockout match (171 not out in 2017 against Australia), an innings that changed the landscape of women’s cricket in India.
Guided India to a gold medal at 2022 Asian Games and silver at 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Savita Punia: Attracted attention with her exceptional performance while guarding India’s goalpost during the team’s historic fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, which gave women’s hockey in the country fresh impetus.
Known as “The Wall” in the Indian hockey fraternity, won three consecutive FIH Goalkeeper of the Year awards (2021-2023), and secured gold medal at the 2017 Asia Cup.
Baldev Singh: A well-respected coach credited with revolutionising women’s hockey in India.
Over three decades, he trained over 80 international players, including former captains like Rani Rampal, Sandeep Singh, and Surinder Kaur.
Praveen Kumar: Made history by winning the gold medal with a jump of 2.08m, setting a new Asian record and helping India achieve its highest-ever gold tally at a single Paralympics.
Honoured with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2025, he won his first-ever World Championship medal — a bronze — with a season-best jump of 2.00m.
Bhagwandas Raikwar: Recognised with the Padma Shri for his lifelong dedication to preserving Bundelkhand’s legendary Bundeli war art.
K Pajanivel: He is a renowned Silambattam (an ancient Tamil weapon-based martial ar form) expert from Puducherry. Has been practising it for 40 years.
Vladimer Mestvirishvili: A former Georgian international, he has spent nearly two decades in India, shaping a generation of champions since arriving in the country in 2003. Has emerged as central figure in India’s rise as a global wrestling force.
Affectionately known as Laado within the wrestling fraternity, he played a decisive role in the early development of several of India’s most decorated grapplers, including Olympic medallists Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt and Bajrang Punia. PTI AH AH ATK
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