President Droupadi Murmu presented the Arjuna Award 2025 to kabaddi players Pooja and Surjeet on 13 November, citing their medals at the Hangzhou Asian Games and Asian Championships.
Kabaddi players Pooja and Surjeet were presented with the Arjuna Award 2025 by President Droupadi Murmu on Friday, 13 November. They were honoured alongside hockey players Lalremsiami and Rajkumar Pal. Both kabaddi players were recognised for medal-winning performances in Asian competition, and the Hangzhou Asian Games featured in both of their citations.
The Arjuna Award is part of the National Sports Awards, which recognise and reward excellence in sport each year. The award recognises good performance over the previous four years and highlights leadership, sportsmanship and discipline. Recommendations were made by a Selection Committee chaired by former Supreme Court judge Justice (Retd.) Arun Kumar Mishra.
Pooja received the award for her success at the Hangzhou Asian Games and the Sixth Asian Kabaddi Championship. The official social media account of the President of India marked the presentation with a post that read:
“President Smt. Droupadi Murmu presented the Arjuna Award, 2025 to Ms. Pooja for her outstanding achievements in kabaddi. Ms. Pooja won medals at the Hangzhou Asian Games and the Sixth Asian Kabaddi Championship.”
Her place on the list puts a women’s kabaddi player among the country’s recognised athletes for the year. The other names on that list come from athletics, badminton, chess, boxing, rowing and shooting.
Surjeet was honoured for his kabaddi achievements, with his citation naming medals at the Hangzhou Asian Games and the Busan Asian Kabaddi Championship. The President’s official handle posted:
“President Smt. Droupadi Murmu presented the Arjuna Award, 2025 to Shri Surjeet for his outstanding achievements in kabaddi. Shri Surjeet won medals at the Hangzhou Asian Games and the Busan Asian Kabaddi Championship.”
With Pooja and Surjeet both recognised, kabaddi had one man and one woman among this year’s Arjuna Award recipients. Both were cited for their records on the Asian stage, at the Asian Games and at the continental championship.
Lalremsiami received the award for her contribution to India’s medal-winning performances at major international tournaments, including the Commonwealth Games, the Asian Games and the Asian Champions Trophy. Rajkumar Pal was recognised for his achievements in hockey, including medals at the Paris Olympics and the Hulunbuir Asian Champions Trophy.
The other recipients of the Arjuna Award 2025 were:
The Lifetime Arjuna Award went to former India footballer and coach Arumainayagam for his continued contribution to sport after his playing career ended.
The Dronacharya Award for outstanding coaches will be conferred on coaches who have shown consistent excellence and helped athletes succeed in international events. The reports on the kabaddi and hockey presentations did not name the coaching recipients.
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