Padma Awards 2026: The Government of India has announced the prestigious Padma Awards for the year 2026 in recognition of distinguished services in various disciplines. This edition’s roll has a prominent sporting pulse with nine outstanding sportspersons being recognised for their immense contribution to the sporting landscape of the country.
Indian tennis trailblazer Vijay Amritraj, who has been bestowed with Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian award, heads the elite list. Amritraj, who was ranked as high as No. 18 in singles in the world, is a legend who played for the country at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. He won 15 ATP singles titles and recorded landmark wins over the likes of Björn Borg and John McEnroe in a stellar career that saw him reach the singles quarter-finals of four Grand Slam tournaments.
World Cup Glory Recognized With Padma Shri
The Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, was a prominent feature of India’s recent major achievements on the world cricket stage. The current captain of the men’s national team, Rohit Sharma, received the award for his brilliant back-to-back campaigns in global trophies, lifting the T20 World Cup in 2024 and holding the fort in the Champions Trophy win in 2025.
With him is the inspirational leader of the women’s national side Harmanpreet Kaur. Kaur was praised for her historic tactical leadership that guided the Indian women’s cricket team to their first ever ODI World Cup title last year.
Stalwarts of Hockey, Para-Sports, and Coaching Honored
Star goalkeeper and two-time Olympian Savita Punia, who brought great recognition to the hockey ecosystem with the Padma Shri, became only the second Indian goalkeeper after PR Sreejesh to play 300 international matches. She captained the side to a FIH Nations Cup win and a Commonwealth Games bronze medal. Former Olympian and Dronacharya awardee Baldev Singh was also recognised for over four decades of transformational coaching that created icons like Rani Rampal and Sandeep Singh.
The late Georgian wrestling guru Vladimir Mestvirishvili became the first foreign coach to be posthumously honoured with the Padma Shri in a historic first. The late Mestvirishvili, who passed away last year at 81, was the chief architect of the Olympic podium finishes of Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, Ravi Dahiya and Bajrang Punia.
Paralympic high jump champion Praveen Kumar, traditional martial arts (Silambam) custodian of Puducherry K Pajanivel and traditional combat arts archer Bhagwandas Raikwar of Madhya Pradesh complete the decorated list of sports heroes. The 2026 awards beautifully celebrate elite world champions and the grassroots teachers who safeguard India’s sporting future.
List Of Padma Awardees In Sports
| Winner | Sport / Discipline | Award Category | Key Achievement |
| Vijay Amritraj | Tennis | Padma Bhushan | Former World No. 18, 4x Grand Slam Quarterfinalist |
| Rohit Sharma | Cricket | Padma Shri | Captained India to T20 World Cup & Champions Trophy titles |
| Harmanpreet Kaur | Cricket | Padma Shri | Led Indian Women’s Team to their maiden ODI World Cup |
| Savita Punia | Hockey | Padma Shri | 2x Olympian, former captain, 300+ international caps |
| Baldev Singh | Hockey (Coaching) | Padma Shri | Dronacharya Awardee, shaped careers of Rani Rampal & Sandeep Singh |
| Praveen Kumar | Para-Athletics | Padma Shri | Paralympic High Jump Champion |
| Vladimir Mestvirishvili | Wrestling (Coaching) | Padma Shri (Posthumous) | First foreign coach honored; mentored multiple Olympic medalists |
| K Pajanivel | Silambam (Martial Arts) | Padma Shri | Traditional martial arts promoter from Puducherry |
| Bhagwandas Raikwar | Traditional Sports | Padma Shri | Archery and traditional combat sports veteran |
Debayan Bhattacharyya is a seasoned sports journalist and digital media professional, currently serving as the Chief Sub Editor at ITV Digital (NewsX). A true Football-Fanatic Bong, his professional journey began at Zee Media, where he kicked off his career as a Sub-Editor for the sports team at India.com and CricketCountry. His ability to blend insightful analysis with rapid-fire news delivery soon led him to Times Network, where he served as a Senior Copy Editor for Times Now. Before his current role at NewsX, Debayan spent a significant tenure at OneIndia’s MyKhel as a Senior Sub Editor.
