From Neeraj Chopra to Abhinav Bindra: Full list of sportspersons recommended for Padma Awards 2026

Posted By: Hemant Kumar Posted On: Nov 11, 2025Share Article
From Neeraj Chopra to Abhinav Bindra
Neeraj Chopra

Olympic champions Abhinav Bindra and Leander Paes are reportedly set to be honored with the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award. Bindra, India's first individual Olympic gold medalist, and tennis legend Paes, an 18-time Grand Slam champion, have been recommended by their respective sports bodies. Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra has been recommended for the Padma Bhushan.

India's Olympic icons Abhinav Bindra and Leander Paes are set to be honoured with the country's second-highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, according to a report by The Times of India citing sports ministry sources.

Bindra, India's first individual Olympic gold medallist and a five-time Olympian in the 10m air rifle event, has been recommended by the Sports Authority of India (SAI), while tennis legend Leander Paes, an 18-time Grand Slam champion, has been proposed by the All India Tennis Association (AITA).

Paes, who recently took charge as president of the Bengal Tennis Association (BTA), remains India's only Olympic medallist in tennis, having clinched a bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Games. He previously received the Padma Shri in 2001 and Padma Bhushan in 2014. Bindra was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2009.

The Padma Vibhushan has so far been awarded to only four sportspersons — chess champion Viswanathan Anand (2007), cricketer Sachin Tendulkar (2008), mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary (2008, posthumous) and boxer M.C. Mary Kom (2020).

Meanwhile, Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra, who also won the World Championships and Diamond League Finals, has been recommended for the Padma Bhushan by SAI. Chopra earlier received the Padma Shri in 2022.

Air pistol shooter Manu Bhaker, who scripted history at the Paris Olympics by bagging two bronze medals, and Indian men's hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh, who led the team to a bronze finish at Paris 2024, have been recommended for the Padma Shri.

The list also includes former shooter Gagan Narang for the Padma Bhushan, and for the Padma Shri — Randhir Singh, president of the Olympic Council of Asia; Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, sports injury expert; Viren Rasquinha, former India hockey captain; and Sandip Pradhan, former SAI director general.

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