List Of All Sport Personalities Conferred With Padma Awards In 2025
PR Sreejesh and R Ashwin received the Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awards, respectively, from President Droupadi Murmu for their remarkable contributions to Indian sports.
The Padma Awards 2025 were presented at a grand ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Monday. President Droupadi Murmu conferred the prestigious civilian honours in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The awards were announced earlier in January, recognising individuals for their distinguished service in various fields, including sports.
The Padma Awards are among India’s highest civilian honours. The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest award after Bharat Ratna and Padma Vibhushan, while the Padma Shri is the fourth-highest.
Sportspersons Honoured in 2025
Five sportspersons were recognised this year for their remarkable achievements and contributions to Indian sports:
PR Sreejesh (Padma Bhushan)- Former Indian men’s hockey team goalkeeper PR Sreejesh received the Padma Bhushan award. Sreejesh is only the second hockey player, after the legendary Major Dhyan Chand, to be honoured with this award. Nicknamed the "Great Wall of Indian Hockey," Sreejesh has played a vital role in India’s recent hockey achievements. He was part of the gold medal-winning teams at the 2014 and 2022 Asian Games and was instrumental in India’s bronze medal wins at both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics.
Ravichandran Ashwin (Padma Shri)- Indian cricketer and one of the country’s finest spin bowlers, Ravichandran Ashwin was honoured with the Padma Shri for his outstanding contributions to the game.. He was part of the teams that won the 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy. With 537 wickets in 106 Test matches, he is India’s second-highest wicket-taker in Tests, only behind Anil Kumble.
I.M. Vijayan (Padma Shri) – Former Indian footballer I.M. Vijayan was also awarded the Padma Shri. Known for his sharp goal-scoring skills, Vijayan scored 97 international goals in 102 matches for India. He made his debut in 1992 and led the team for over a decade. He was part of the squad that won the 1999 South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Cup, and scored one of the fastest international goals, just 12 seconds after kickoff against Bhutan.
Harvinder Singh (Padma Shri) – Harvinder Singh is an Indian Para archer who created history by becoming the first ever Indian to win a gold medal in archery at the Paris Paralympics 2024. In 2021, he also became the first ever para archer to be honoured with the Arjuna Award.
Satyapal Singh (Padma Shri) – One of India’s most respected international athletics coaches, Satyapal Singh has played a crucial role in shaping the careers of several top para-athletes. He was also a mentor of Praveen Kumar, who won the gold medal for India in 2024 Paris Paralympics in the high jump.
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