Post by : Meena Ariff

Two-time Olympic medallist and Indian men’s hockey team vice-captain Hardik Singh has been nominated for the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award for 2025, marking a significant recognition of his consistent excellence on the international stage.

This nomination also highlights a notable trend: for the second consecutive year, no cricketer has been selected for India’s highest sporting honour. While pace veteran Mohammed Shami was honoured with the Arjuna Award in 2023, no cricketers featured in the Khel Ratna shortlist this year.

The final list of nominations was confirmed on Wednesday by a distinguished panel consisting of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) vice-president Gagan Narang, Moscow 1980 Olympic gold medallist M.M. Somaya, and former badminton star Aparna Popat.

The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award is the highest sporting accolade in India, presented annually by the President of India through the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. It recognizes outstanding achievements and exceptional contributions by Indian athletes in their respective sports.

Hardik Singh, who made his senior international debut in 2018, has been an indispensable part of the Indian men’s hockey team. He played pivotal roles in India’s bronze medal-winning campaigns at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Historically, only six hockey players have been honoured with the Khel Ratna Award, including icons such as Dhanraj Pillay and Sardar Singh.

At just 27 years old, Hardik has already represented India in 164 international matches. He has earned back-to-back Hockey India Player of the Year awards in 2022 and 2023. In addition, he was named the FIH Player of the Year in 2023 and was bestowed with the Arjuna Award in 2021.

Hardik’s remarkable performances have been key in India’s recent successes, including gold medal triumphs at the Asia Cup 2025, which secured India’s qualification for the upcoming Hockey World Cup, as well as victories at the Asian Champions Trophy 2023 and the Asian Games.

Last year’s Khel Ratna recipients included Indian men’s hockey captain and star drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh, two-time Paris Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker, chess prodigy D. Gukesh, and para-athlete Praveen Kumar.

In other developments, yogasana athlete Aarti Pal has been nominated for the Arjuna Award, becoming the first-ever yogasana athlete to receive this recognition. Pal is the reigning national and Asian champion in the discipline, which will be featured as a demonstration sport at next year’s Asian Games in Japan.

The announcement of nominees for the Dronacharya Award and the Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award is expected in the coming weeks, rounding out this year’s prestigious honours in Indian sport.

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