Participation of Indian Sports Persons in Olympics, Asian Games, Common Wealth Games and Para-Olympic Games

Participation of Indian Sports Persons in Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and Para-Olympic Games has significantly boosted the global presence of India in the field of Sports and Yoga. Over the years, Indian athletes have showcased remarkable talent and determination, earning laurels and inspiring a new generation of sports enthusiasts across the nation.

Previous Years Questions

Year	Question	Marks
2023	Enlist the major achievements of the flag bearer from India in Paris Olympics 2024opening ceremony.	2M

Indian Olympic Association (IOA)

• The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is India’s National Olympic Committee (NOC).
• Its primary role is to select athletes for:
  • Olympic Games
  • Asian Games
  • Other international multi-sport competitions
• The IOA manages the Indian contingent for these events.
• It also operates like the Indian Commonwealth Games Association.
• The IOA selects athletes to represent India in the Commonwealth Games.

International Olympic Committee

• The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the international, non-governmental governing body for modern Olympic sports.
• Established in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrius Vikelas.
• Located in Lausanne, Switzerland.
• Responsible for organizing the Summer, Winter, and Youth Olympic Games.
• Governing authority for National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and the Olympic movement worldwide.
• Recognizes all entities and individuals involved in the Olympic Games.
• As of 2020, 206 NOCs were officially recognized by the IOC.

Asian Olympic Council

The Asian Olympic Council (OCA) is the governing body for sports in Asia, with 45 National Olympic Committees as its members. The current Executive President is Randhir Singh.

• The Asian Olympic Council was established on November 16, 1982, in New Delhi.
• Its headquarters is located in Kuwait.
• The Asian Olympic Council operates under the supervision of the International Olympic Committee.
• There are five sub-regional councils under the Asian Olympic Council:
  • South Asian Games Council
  • Central Asian Games Council
  • East Asian Games Council
  • Southeast Asian Games Council
  • West Asian Games Council

Summer Olympics

• The first event was held in 1896 in Athens (Greece).
• It is held every four years.
  India first participated in the Paris Olympics in 1900.
• India has participated in all the Olympic Games except for those in 1896, 1904, 1908, and 1912.
• India has won a total of 41 medals in the Olympics (10 gold, 10 silver, 21 bronze).

India’s Olympic Performance

S.No	Place & Year	Player	Game	Medal
1	Paris, 1900	Norman Pritchard	Atheletics	Silver
2	Antwerp, 1920	–	–	–
3	Amsterdam, 1928	Dhyan Chand	Hockey	Gold
4	Helsinki, 1952	K. D. Jadhav	Wrestling	Bronze
5	Melbourne, 1956	–	Hockey	Gold
6	Rome, 1960	–	Hockey	Silver
7	Moscow, 1980	–	Hockey	Gold
8	Atlanta, 1996	Leander Paes	Tennis	Bronze
9	Sydney, 2000	Karnam Malleswari	Weightlifting	Bronze
10	Athens, 2004	Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore	Shooting	–
11	Beijing, 2008	Abhinav Bindra	Shooting	Gold
12		Vijender Singh	Boxing	Bronze
13		Suheel Kumar	Wrestling	Bronze
14	London, 2012	Vijay Kumar	Shooting	Silver
15		Suheel Kumar	Wrestling	Silver
16		Saina Nehwal	Badminton	Bronze
17		Mary Kom	Boxing	Bronze
18		Gagan Narang	Shooting	Bronze
19		Yogeshwar Dutt	Wrestling	Bronze
20	Rio, 2016	P.V. Sindhu	Badminton	Silver
21		Sakshi Malik	Wrestling	Bronze
22	Tokyo, 2020	Neeraj Chopra	Javelin	Gold
23		Mirabai Chanu	Weightlifting	Silver
24		Ravi Kumar Dahiya	Wrestling	Silver
25		Lovlina Borgohain	Boxing	Bronze
26		Bajrang Punia	Wrestling	Bronze
27		P.V. Sindhu	Badminton	Bronze
28		Men’s Hockey Team	Hockey	Bronze

• The 34th (upcoming) Summer Olympic Games will be held in 2028 in Los Angeles, USA.
• The Mayor of Paris handed over the Olympic flag to the Mayor of Los Angeles for hosting the next games.
• The 32nd (previous) Summer Olympic Games were held in Tokyo, Japan.
• The Olympic Games are held every four years.
• The current President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is Thomas Bach.
• The headquarters of the International Olympic Committee is located in Lausanne, Switzerland.
• The organization that regulates the Olympic Games is the IOC.

Paris Olympic 2024

The flag bearers for the Indian contingent at the opening ceremony were Olympic medalists PV Sindhu (badminton) and Sharath Kamal (table tennis).

• A total of 117 athletes from India participated in 16 sports at the Paris Olympics, including 47 women. (India sent a contingent of 257 members, including sporting staff.)
• The Chef de Mission for the Indian team was shooter Gagan Narang.
• India sent its second-largest Olympic team in history.
• Indian athletes won only 6 medals, with no gold medals.
• For the third consecutive Olympics (after London and Rio), India did not secure a single gold, finishing behind Pakistan in the medal tally.
• India’s rank in the medal table was 71st.
• Total medals won: 6 (1 silver and 5 bronze), compared to the highest 7 medals won in Tokyo.
• Medals won in shooting: 3, and 1 medal each in hockey, wrestling, and athletics.
• In athletics, India achieved its first-ever consecutive medal wins.

Major Medal Winners from India

Neeraj Chopra , Panipat (Haryana):

• Medal: Silver in Javelin Throw
• Distance: Threw 89.45 meters to win silver.
• Achievements: Third Indian athlete to win medals in two consecutive Olympics and the first athlete to win two medals in track and field events.
• Note: Arshad Nadeem from Pakistan won gold with a throw of 92.97 meters, setting a new world record.

Manu Bhakar , Jhajjar (Haryana):

• Medal: Bronze in 10m Air Pistol event.
• Achievements: First Indian woman to win a shooting medal at the Olympics and the first woman to win two medals in a single Olympic Games.
• Note: Won a second bronze medal with Sarabjot Singh in the mixed team event, securing India’s first shooting team medal at the Olympics.

Aman Sahrawat , Jhajjar (Haryana):

• Medal: Bronze in Wrestling.
• Category: Men’s Freestyle 57 kg.
• Achievements: Defeated Puerto Rico’s Daryan Cruz 13-5 to win a medal, becoming India’s youngest Olympic medalist.

Sarabjot Singh , Ambala (Punjab):

• Medal: Bronze in 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event.
• Achievements: Collaborated with Manu Bhaker to secure India’s second medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event.

Swapnil Kusle , Pune (Maharashtra):

• Medal: Bronze in Shooting.
• Achievements: First Indian to win a medal in the 50m Rifle Three Positions event.

Indian Men’s Hockey Team:

• Medal: Bronze, defeating Spain 2-1.
• Achievements: First time in 52 years that the Indian team has managed to medal in consecutive Olympics. 
• Note: First time in 52 years that India defeated Australia in men’s hockey at the Olympics.

Important Facts

• Flag Bearers: The flag bearers for the Indian contingent at the closing ceremony were shooter Manu Bhaker and hockey player (goalkeeper) PR Sreejesh.
• Weightlifting: Mirabai Chanu missed out on a medal by 1 kilogram.
• Wrestling: Vinesh Phogat became the first female wrestler to reach the finals but was disqualified for being 100 grams over the weight limit.
• Number of Athletes: The highest number of athletes, 24, were from Haryana.
• Total Medals: India has won a total of 41 medals at the Olympics.
• Players from Rajasthan:
  • Maheshwari Chauhan, Shooting (Udaipur)
  • Anantjit Singh Naruka, Shooting (Jaipur)
  • Maheshwari and Anantjit participated as the only Indian pair in the mixed team skeet event but did not win any medals.

Paralympics

Overview:

• An international sports competition for athletes with various disabilities.
• Originated in 1948 with the “Stoke Mandeville Games” by Dr. Guttmann during the London Olympics.
• Evolved into the first Paralympic Games in 1960.
• The inaugural Paralympic Games featured 400 athletes from 23 countries.

Participation of Indian Athletes:

S N	Place, Year	Athlete’s Name	Sport	Medal
1	Israel, 1972	Murlikant Petkar	Swimming	Gold
2	New York, USA, 1984	Bhimrao Kesharkar	Javelin Throw	Silver
		Joginder Singh Bedi	Shot Put	Silver
		Joginder Singh Bedi	Javelin Throw	Bronze
		Joginder Singh Bedi	Discus Throw	Bronze
3	Athens, Greece, 2004	Devendra Jhajharia	Javelin Throw	Gold
		Rajinder Singh Rahelu	Weightlifting	Bronze
4	London, UK, 2012	Girisha Nagarajegowda	High Jump	Silver
5	Rio de Janeiro, 2016	Devendra Jhajharia	Javelin Throw	Gold
		Mariyappan Thangavelu	High Jump	Gold
		Deepa Malik	Shot Put	Silver
		Varun Bhati	High Jump	Bronze
6	Tokyo, Japan, 2020	Avani Lekhara	Shooting	Gold
		Sumit Antil	Javelin Throw	Gold
		Manish Narwal	Shooting	Gold
		Pramod Bhagat	Badminton	Gold
		Krishna Nagar	Badminton	Gold
		Bhavina Patel	Table Tennis	Silver
		Nishad Kumar	High Jump	Silver
		Yogesh Kathuniya	Discus Throw	Silver
		Devendra Jhajharia	Javelin Throw	Silver
		Mariyappan Thangavelu	High Jump	Silver
		Praveen Kumar	Shooting	Silver
		Singhraj Adhana	Badminton	Silver
		Suhas Yathiraj	Shooting	Silver
		Sundar Singh Gurjar	Javelin Throw	Bronze
		Singhraj Adhana	Shooting	Bronze
		Sharad Kumar	High Jump	Bronze
		Avani Lekhara	Shooting	Bronze
		Harvinder Singh	Archer	Bronze
		Manoj Sarkar	Badminton	Bronze

Paris Paralympic Games – 2024

• Event Title: 2024 Summer Paralympics
• Edition: 17th
• Host City: Paris, France
• Participating Nations: 169 (including NPA and RPT teams)
• Competitions: 22 sports with 549 events
• Opening Ceremony: August 28, 2024
• Closing Ceremony: September 8, 2024
• Mascot: The Phryges
• Motto: “Games Wide Open” (French: Ouvrons Grand les Jeux)
• Flag Bearers at the Opening Ceremony for India: Bhagyashree Jadhav and Sumit Antil
• Flag Bearers at the Closing Ceremony for India: Preeti Pal and Harvinder Singh
• Top Position in Medal Table: China (94 gold, 76 silver, 50 bronze; total 220 medals)
• India’s Position in Medal Table: 18th (7 gold, 9 silver, 13 bronze)

Key Points

• Event Dates: August 28 to September 8, 2024
• Host City: Paris, France
• Previous Edition: 16th Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan (August 24 to September 5, 2021)
• France’s Hosting History: Second time; previously hosted in 1992 in Tignes and Albertville
• Participating Nations: 169 countries, including the Refugee Paralympic Team and the Russian Olympic Committee
• Total Para-Athletes: 4,463 competing in 549 events across 22 sports
• Top Medal Table Position: China
  • Total Medals: 220 (94 gold, 76 silver, 50 bronze)
• Other Top Countries:
  • Great Britain: 124 total medals
  • United States: 105 total medals
• Previous Rankings: Same top three countries (China, Great Britain, USA) in the Tokyo Paralympics medal table.

India at the 17th Paralympic Games

• Participation: India had 84 para-athletes (the highest ever) competing in 12 sports at the Paris Paralympics 2024.
• Previous Participation: In the Tokyo Paralympics, India sent a 54-member contingent to compete in 9 sports.
• Opening Ceremony: Held on August 28, 2024, at Champs-Élysées and Place de la Concorde, sites significant to the French Revolution.
• Closing Ceremony: Took place on September 8, 2024, at Stade de France, titled “Paris is a Party.
• Opening Ceremony Flag Bearers:
  • Sumit Antil (javelin thrower)
  • Bhagyashree Jadhav (shot putter)
• Closing Ceremony Flag Bearers:
  • Harvinder Singh (archer)
  • Preeti Pal (sprinter)
  • New Sports
• Indian para-athletes participated in three new sports:
  • Para cycling
  • Para rowing
  • Blind judo

Medal Performance

• Medal Count: India won a record total of 29 medals at the 17th Summer Paralympic Games, finishing in 18th place in the medal table.
• Previous Performance: At the Tokyo Paralympics, India secured 19 medals (5 gold, 8 silver, and 6 bronze) and placed 24th in the medal table.

Major Medal Winners from India at the 17th Paralympic Games

Avani Lekhara:

• First gold medal for India in the 17th Summer Paralympic Games.
• Scored 249.7 in the SHI category of 10m air rifle, setting a Paralympic record.
• Silver medal: Yoonri Lee (South Korea); Bronze medal: Mona Agarwal (India) with a score of 228.7.
• First Indian woman to win two gold medals in the Paralympic Games.

Sumit Antil:

• Successfully defended his title by winning gold in javelin throw (F64 category) at Paris.
• First Indian male athlete to defend a gold medal.

Navdeep Singh:

• Gold medal in men’s javelin throw (F-41 category) with a personal best of 47.32 meters.
• Originally won silver but was awarded gold after the disqualification of Sadegh Beit Sayah (Iran) for a throw of 47.64 meters.

Mariyappan Thangavelu:

• First Indian para-athlete to win medals in three consecutive Paralympics.
• Gold in high jump (T 42 category) at Rio 2016, silver at Tokyo 2020, and bronze at Paris 2024.

Dharmbir Singh:

• Gold medal in men’s club throw (F 51 category) with a new Asian record of 34.92 meters.

Pranav Surma:

• Silver medal in men’s club throw (F 51 category).

Harvinder Singh:

• First Indian archer to win a gold medal in the Paralympics, served as the flag bearer at the closing ceremony.

Preeti Pal:

• First Indian female para-athlete to win two medals (bronze) in track and field (100m and 200m, T35).

Nitesh Kumar:

• Gold medal in men’s singles badminton (SL3 category).

Praveen Kumar:

• Gold medal in men’s high jump (T 64 category).

Manish Narwal:

• Silver medal in men’s 10m air pistol (SH1 category).

Nishad Kumar:

• Silver medal in men’s high jump (T 47 category).

Yogesh Kathuniya:

• Silver medal in men’s discus throw (F 56 category).

Tulsi Muthy:

• Silver medal in women’s singles badminton (SU5 category).

Sharad Kumar:

• Silver medal in men’s high jump (T63 category).

Ajit Singh Yadav:

• Silver medal in javelin throw (F-46 category).

Suhas Yathiraj:

• Silver medal in men’s singles badminton (SL4 category).

Sachin Sarjerao:

• Silver medal in shot put (F46 category).

Mona Agarwal:

• Bronze medal in women’s 10m air rifle standing (SH1 category).

Rubina Francis:

• Bronze medal in women’s 10m air pistol (SH1 category).

Manisha Ramdas:

• Bronze medal in women’s singles badminton (SU5 category).

Rakesh Kumar / Sheetal Devi:

• Bronze in mixed team compound archery.

Nithya Sri Sivan:

• Bronze medal in women’s singles badminton (SH6 category).

Sundar Singh Gurjar:

• Bronze medal in javelin throw (F-46 category).

Dipti Jeevanji:

• Bronze medal in 400 meters (T20 category).

Kapil Parmar:

• Bronze medal in judo (J1-60 kg category).

Simran Sharma:

• Bronze medal in 200 meters (T12 category).

Hokato Hotozhe Sema:

• Bronze medal in shot put (F57 category).

Total Medals Won by India

• Overall: 60 medals at the Paralympics, including 16 gold, 21 silver, and 23 bronze.
• Next Summer Paralympics: The 18th Summer Paralympics will be held in 2028 in Los Angeles, USA.

Winter Paralympics

• The Winter Paralympics is an international multi-sport event where athletes with physical disabilities compete in winter sports.
• The International Olympic Committee currently recognizes 28 Paralympic Games, of which:
  • 22 games are held in the Summer Paralympics
  • 6 games are played in the Winter Paralympics.
  • Sports Played in the Winter Paralympics:
    • Para Alpine Skiing
    • Para Biathlon
    • Para Cross-Country Skiing
    • Para Ice Hockey
    • Para Snowboarding
    • Wheelchair Curling
• India has not yet participated in this competition.
• The 13th Winter Paralympic Games were held from March 4 to March 13, 2022, in Beijing.

Asian Games

• The Asian Games are known as the second most important multi-sport event in the world after the Olympics.
• They are a multi-sport competition held every four years, exclusively for athletes from various Asian countries.
• The Asian Games are also referred to as Asiad.
• The event is regulated by the Asian Olympic Council under the supervision of the International Olympic Committee.
• The first Asian Games were held in 1951 in New Delhi. India again hosted these games in 1982.
• The latest edition of the Asian Games took place in 2018 in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia.
• The 2022 Asian Games were supposed to be held in Hangzhou, China, but were postponed due to a rise in COVID-19 cases in China.

19th Asian Games, 2023

• September 23 to October 8, 2023 in Hangzhou, China.
• India’s Asian Games 2023 medal tally is 107 medals – 28 gold, 38 silver and 41 bronze. 
• A 655-member Indian contingent participated at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, the People’s Republic of China from September 23 to October 8.
• 23 players from Rajasthan
  • Divyansh Singh Panwar- gold in 10m air rifle team event
  • Sachin Tanwar- Kabbadi
  • Divyakirti Singh- Equestrian Dressage team game
  • Nidhi Sharma, Shushma Sharma, Sakshi Kumari, Muskan Malik- Kabbadi

Winter Asian Games

• The Winter Asian Games is an international multi-sport event held for member countries of the Asian Olympic Council every four years, primarily featuring winter sports (such as ice hockey, snowboarding, alpine skiing, etc.).
• The Japanese Olympic Committee first proposed hosting a winter version of the Asian Games in 1982, and Japan eventually hosted the first Winter Asian Games in 1986.
• The 8th Winter Asian Games were held in February 2017 in Japan.
• The 9th Winter Asian Games are scheduled to take place in 2029 in Trojena, Saudi Arabia.

Para Asian Games

• Sundar Singh Gurjar- 
  • Karauli
  • Gold- Javelin throw (world record- 68.60m)
  • Paralympic javelin thrower, shot putter and discus thrower competing in F46 events.
  • Tokyo 2020 Paralympics- Bronze medal at in men’s javelin F46 event.
  • Recipient of Arjuna Award for Para-athletics.

• Avani Lekhara-
  • Jaipur
  • Gold- 10m air rifle
  • 2020 Summer Paralympics.- Gold medal in the 10m air rifle standing and a bronze medal in the 50m rifle 3 positions
  • Ranked world no. 1 in Women’s 10m Air Rifle standing SH1 (World Shooting Para Sport Rankings)[Jan, 2023]
  • Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, 2021
  • Out of turn appointment as Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) by the Government of Rajasthan.
• Nimisha Suresh-
  • Gold
  • Long jump
• Darpan Inani
  • Udaipur
  • Gold
  • Chess-team event

South Asian Game

• The South Asian Games (formerly known as SAF Games – South Asian Federation Games) is a multi-sport competition exclusively for athletes from South Asian countries (India, Bhutan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, Sri Lanka, etc.).
• The governing body for these games, the South Asian Games Council, was established in 1983, operating under the auspices of the Asian Olympic Council.
• These games have not been consistently held every four years in the past.
• India is yet to participate in the Winter Asian Games.
• The 13th South Asian Games were held in 2019 in Kathmandu, Nepal, where India secured first place with a total of 312 medals, including 174 gold, 93 silver, and 45 bronze medals.
• Afghanistan has recently left the South Asian Games Council to become a member of the Central Asian Games Council.
• The 14th edition of the South Asian Games is proposed to be held in 2025 in Pakistan.

Commonwealth Games 2022 and Players

• The Commonwealth Games is an international multi-sport event involving athletes from Commonwealth countries.
• The first event was held in 1930, and it has been conducted every four years since then.
• From 1930 to 1950, the games were known as the British Empire Games; from 1954 to 1966, they were called the British Empire and Commonwealth Games; and from 1970 to 1974, they were referred to as the British Commonwealth Games. In 1978, the name was changed to Commonwealth Games.
• The initial idea for the Commonwealth Games was proposed by Ashley Cooper, and they officially began in 1930 in Hamilton, Canada.
• India participated for the first time in the Commonwealth Games in 1934, held in London.
• The governing body for the Commonwealth Games is the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).

Commonwealth Games Federation

• This is the international governing body for the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Youth Games, headquartered in London, England.

David Dixon Award

• This award is given to the outstanding athlete at each Commonwealth Games based on their performance, sportsmanship, and overall contribution to their team.
• Named after former Commonwealth Games Federation Honorary Secretary David Dixon, the award was presented to Indian shooter Samresh Jung in 2006.

India’s performance at the 22nd Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, England from July 28 to August 8, 2022:

India’s Performance:

• Total Medals: 61
  • Gold: 22
  • Silver: 16
  • Bronze: 23
  • Overall Rank: 4th

Notable Achievements:

• P. V. Sindhu:
  • Medal: Gold
  • Previous Medals: Bronze (2014), Silver (2018) in women’s singles.
• Lakshya Sen:
  • Medal: Gold in men’s singles.
• Satwiksairaj Rankireddy & Chirag Shetty:
  • Medal: Gold in men’s doubles.
  • Previous Achievements: Shetty won mixed team gold (2018) and men’s doubles silver (2018); awarded Arjuna Award (2020).
• Srikanth Kidambi:
  • Medal: Bronze in men’s singles.
  • Previous Medal: Gold (2018).
• Tejaswin Shankar:
  • Achievement: First Indian to win a CWG medal in high jump

Miscellaneous

38th National Games

• Held in Uttarakhand.
• From January 28 to February 14, 2025
• 1st – Services: 68 gold, 26 silver, 27 bronze (121 total)
• 2nd – Maharashtra: 54 gold, 71 silver, 76 bronze (201 total)
• 3rd – Haryana: 48 gold, 47 silver, 58 bronze (153 total)
• Best Male Athlete – Sawan Barwal
  • Gold medals in 5000m and 10,000m races
• Best female Athlete – Dhinidhi Desinghu
  •  9 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze medal- Swimming 
  •  Broke 3 games records and 5 personal bests. 
• The host state, Uttarakhand, secured the 7th position with 24 gold, 35 silver, and 44 bronze medals (103 total)
• Rajasthan Secured 15th position with total 43 medals – 9 Gold, 11 Silver, 23 Bronze
• Mascot: The games’ mascot was “Mauli,” inspired by Uttarakhand’s state bird, the Himalayan monal.
• Olympic Torch: The official Olympic torch for the games was named “Tejaswini”.
• Logo: The official logo of the games was unveiled in December 2024, representing the spirit and cultural identity of Uttarakhand

37th National Games

• Held in Goa
• Maharashtra topped with 228 medals 
• Services stood second with 126 medals
• Rajasthan- 13th with  65 medals
• Srihari Nataraj (8 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze) –
  • Olympic swimmer 
  • Best male athlete
• Sanyuktha Prasen Kale and Pranati Nayak (4 gold and 1 silver each) – Gymnast

South Asian Youth Games

• SriLanka
• Players from Rajasthan
  • Himmat Singh Rathore – Martial arts (Jeet Kune Do)
  • Bhanu Singh Shekhawat- Shot Put
  • Anju Choudhary – 1500 m race

Rajiv Gandhi Olympics 2023

Rajiv Gandhi Rural and Urban Olympic Games-2023 began on August 5, 2023, at Sawai Man Singh Stadium, Jaipur. These games aim to promote sports and will be held annually, with hopes that participants will win medals in future international events.

Event Highlights:

• Rural Games: Kabaddi, Shooting Ball, Tennis Ball Cricket, Kho-Kho, Volleyball, Football, Tug of War.
• Urban Games: Kabaddi, Tennis Ball Cricket, Kho-Kho, Volleyball, Athletics, Football, Basketball.

State level tournaments held in – Jodhpur Hanumangarh- maximum medals.

Rajasthan Premier League

• By Rajasthan Cricket Association
• Initiation-Barkatullah Khan Stadium, Jodhpur
• Closing- SMS Stadium
• Jaipur Indians defeated Jodhpur Sunrisers
• Brand Ambassador- Kapil Dev
• ‘Chalega Balla To Machega Halla’

Sports Personalities Honored in 2025 Padma Awards

The Padma Awards follow a specific hierarchy in India’s civilian award system:

• Padma Vibhushan is awarded for “exceptional and distinguished service” and stands as the second-highest civilian award in India.
• Padma Bhushan recognizes “distinguished service of a high order” and is the third-highest civilian honor.
• Padma Shri acknowledges “distinguished service” and is the fourth-highest civilian award in the country.

PR Sreejesh: Padma Bhushan

• Veteran hockey goalkeeper
• Second hockey player after Major Dhyan Chand to receive this honor
• 18-year career spanning 336 international matches
• Sreejesh played a pivotal role in India’s historic bronze medal victories at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics
• He was also part of two Asian Games gold medal-winning teams

Ravichandran Ashwin: Padma Shri 

• Legendary off-spinner
• India’s second-highest Test wicket-taker with 537 scalps in 106 matches
• 3,503 runs and six centuries in the Test format
• Claiming 156 wickets in 116 ODIs and 72 wickets in 65 T20Is
• Playing crucial roles in India’s 2011 ODI World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy victories

Harvinder Singh: Padma Shri

• Para-archer
• he won India’s first-ever gold medal in archery at the Paralympic Games 2024

Inivalappil Mani Vijayan: Padma Shri

• Former Indian football captain
• Vijayan played as a striker alongside Bhaichung Bhutia in the late 1990s and early 2000s, establishing himself as one of India’s football legends
• Vijayan was also honored with the Arjuna Award in 2003

Satyapal Singh: Padma Shri

• Renowned para-athletics coach
• As the head of the Target Olympic Medal Sports Academy, instrumental in nurturing Paralympic talent in the country
• His coaching expertise helped guide high-jumper Praveen Kumar to a gold medal at the Paris Paralympics.