CM Fadnavis Hails Maharashtra's 4 National Sports Awardees
Synopsis
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis congratulated four state honourees at the National Sports Awards 2025: chess players Divya Deshmukh and Vidit Gujrathi (Arjuna Award), shooting coach Neha Chavan (Dronacharya Award), and Army Paralympic Node, Pune (Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar), among 23 total national awardees.
Key Takeaways
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the National Sports Awards 2025 , honouring 23 athletes and coaches across disciplines.
Divya Deshmukh (chess) and Vidit Gujrathi (chess) both received the Arjuna Award 2025 , Maharashtra's two Arjuna honourees this cycle.
Shooting coach Neha Chavan from Maharashtra received the Dronacharya Award 2025 for outstanding coaching contribution.
Army Paralympic Node, Pune received the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2025 for institutional promotion of sport.
Maharashtra accounts for 2 athletes, 1 coach, and 1 sporting institution among the national awardees.
CM Devendra Fadnavis posted congratulations in both English and Marathi, calling the recognition a source of pride for the state.
Four from Maharashtra. Two chess grandmasters, a shooting coach, and an Army institution that has quietly been rebuilding lives through Paralympic sport — all recognised at once. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday, 18 August 2026 congratulated the state's contingent among the 23 athletes and coaches honoured with the National Sports Awards 2025 by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Maharashtra's Chess Duo Takes Centre Stage
The headline names are both from the 64-square world. Divya Deshmukh and Vidit Gujrathi — two of Indian chess's sharpest rising and established forces — have each been awarded the Arjuna Award 2025, India's second-highest sporting honour. Deshmukh, a teenage prodigy who has made waves on the international circuit, and Gujrathi, a seasoned grandmaster who has consistently ranked among the world's elite, represent Maharashtra's growing dominance in a sport that India has increasingly claimed as its own.
Neha Chavan's Dronacharya and the Coach Behind the Shooter
Behind every medal is a coach who saw the potential first. Neha Chavan, a shooting coach from Maharashtra, receives the Dronacharya Award 2025 — the national recognition for outstanding coaches. The award places her among an elite group of mentors credited with shaping India's sporting talent pipeline, a role that rarely gets the spotlight it deserves.
Army Paralympic Node, Pune: Service and Sport Combined
Perhaps the most distinctive honouree is the Army Paralympic Node, Pune, which receives the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2025 — the award for organisations that promote sports at the grassroots and institutional level. Based in Pune, the node has worked to identify, train, and field armed forces personnel with disabilities in Paralympic competition, blending national service with athletic ambition in a way few institutions do.
CM Fadnavis, posting in both English and Marathi, expressed collective pride: 'या सर्वांचा आम्हाला अभिमान वाटतो' — 'We are proud of all of them.' He wished all 23 national awardees continued success on 'the national and global stage.'
Maharashtra has long punched above its weight in Indian sport. Four recognitions in a single national awards cycle — spanning chess, shooting coaching, and Paralympic institution-building — signals that the state's sporting ecosystem is maturing across disciplines, not just in traditional strongholds. The next question is whether the infrastructure follows the talent.
Point of View
Shooting coaching, and Paralympic institution-building — reflects a diversification of the state's sporting identity beyond its traditional strongholds. For CM Fadnavis, publicly celebrating these awardees reinforces the BJP-led government's positioning around sports nationalism and youth achievement, a recurring theme in its outreach. The inclusion of Army Paralympic Node, Pune is particularly significant: it ties military service, disability inclusion, and athletic excellence into a single symbol, aligning with the Centre's broader Paralympic push since the Tokyo and Paris Games. The chess double — Deshmukh and Gujrathi together — also signals that India's chess surge, accelerated by the Carlsen era and global streaming of the sport, is now producing state-level policy attention.
NationPress
18 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the Maharashtra winners of National Sports Awards 2025?
Maharashtra's four honourees are Divya Deshmukh (Arjuna Award, chess), Vidit Gujrathi (Arjuna Award, chess), Neha Chavan (Dronacharya Award, shooting), and Army Paralympic Node, Pune (Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar).
What is the Arjuna Award?
The Arjuna Award is India's second-highest national sporting honour, awarded by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to athletes for consistent outstanding performance over four years.
What is the Dronacharya Award given for?
The Dronacharya Award recognises coaches who have produced medal-winning athletes at international competitions or have contributed significantly to developing sporting talent in India.
What is the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar?
The Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar is awarded to corporate entities, sports bodies, or institutions that have played a significant role in promoting and developing sports at grassroots, community, or institutional levels.
What is Army Paralympic Node Pune?
Army Paralympic Node, Pune is an Indian Army institution based in Pune that identifies, trains, and supports armed forces personnel with disabilities to compete in Paralympic sport, recognised in 2025 for its contribution to sports promotion.
