Arjuna Awards presented to Tejaswin Shankar, Vidit Gujrathi, Lalremsiami and Dhanush Srikanth

President Droupadi Murmu presented Arjuna Awards at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday to decathlete Tejaswin Shankar, chess grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi, hockey player Lalremsiami and deaf shooter Dhanush Srikanth. Para shooter Rudransh Khandelwal was also an Arjuna Award recipient, while shooting coach Neha Chavan and boxing coach Chhote Lal Yadav received the Dronacharya Award.

The ceremony recognised athletes from multiple sporting disciplines and coaches credited with developing Indian talent, offering formal acknowledgement of their achievements while many of the recipients signalled their attention remains on upcoming challenges. For several awardees the moment combined personal satisfaction with reminders of unfinished goals.

Tejaswin Shankar outlined those unfinished targets after accepting the Arjuna Award, noting his continental successes but expressing ambition at global level: "This is definitely a capstone moment for me in my sporting career. I have been able to do well at the Asian and Commonwealth levels, but the next step for me will be to try and become a medallist at the world level. I want to go to the Olympic Games. My journey is probably only halfway there at this point. This is just the beginning," he said. His recent results listed in the ceremony material include silver at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, bronze at the Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok in 2023, silver at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi and bronze in the decathlon at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. Tejaswin is currently in the off-season and has started preparing for his next campaign, which begins in January, and is working towards earning the ranking points needed for the Olympics.

Vidit Gujrathi described personal joy at the award being shared by his family, saying the recognition brought back difficult earlier years and that seeing his relatives proud was especially meaningful. "It's a great feeling... it feels good to see my family members happy. All the struggles of earlier years. We never thought that this will happen. Seeing them happy and proud makes me very happy," he said.

Dhanush Srikanth's mother, Asha, recalled helping him in his early career by travelling with him and aiding communication with coaches, and she spoke of his reaction to receiving the Arjuna Award. "When he started off, it was very difficult. I used to travel along with him everywhere, communicate with the coaches and all the top people. I was like a kind of interpreter for them," Asha said. "The moment it finished, he was very happy. He came to me and said it was a great achievement. He got an award from the President, and there were a lot of other awardees. He was very proud to be among such top people." The ceremony notes that Dhanush has excelled in both deaf and able-bodied shooting competitions and holds a Deaflympics record.

Lalremsiami was recognised as part of the Indian women's hockey contingent that won gold at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, ending a 44-year wait for the title and securing direct qualification for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. With the Asian Champions Trophy approaching, India are already focused on their next assignment, she said: "It's always challenging because after winning the Asian Games, we have to keep working hard. We have to work extra hard because we have to maintain our own level," she said. "Everyone is preparing really well. We are just excited for the Asian Championships and will try our best."

Shooting coach Neha Chavan reflected on the value of podium finishes at major events and the fine margins in individual sports, saying: "I don't think that they falter as such. In shooting, especially in an individual sport, you just feel the heartbeat. I take medals as an opportunity. When you are in the top eight and win any colour, it is a big achievement. Of course, gold is something which we look for, but sometimes a bronze or silver is heavier than gold," she said. Boxing coach Chhote Lal Yadav, who has worked with the national camp and supported M C Mary Kom, said the Dronacharya Award motivated him to continue working with young boxers: "I have received a lot of motivation from this award. I will continue to work hard," he said. He shared the occasion with fellow Dronacharya awardee Dharmendra Singh Yadav, while Arjuna award-winning boxer Narender Berwal was also present. On Mary Kom's legacy he added: "Mary Kom is a legend. We can try to achieve what she has achieved, but it is not possible to win the World Championship eight times and win six gold medals," and "I am trying to take my children as close to that level as possible. We will not compare ourselves with anyone because if we keep comparing, we will remain stuck there." Para shooter Rudransh Khandelwal, a 2024 Para World Cup gold medallist, called the Arjuna Award recognition for his long-term efforts and said it had motivated him further: "I am very thankful for all the hard work I have been doing for so many years. It has motivated me to work harder," he said.

Tejaswin's immediate schedule includes a campaign that begins in January as he seeks ranking points for Olympic qualification, while the Indian women's hockey team have turned attention to the Asian Champions Trophy as their next assignment.