The Central Government has changed the name of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award. The government has decided to name it after Major Dhyan Chand, who is called the 'magician' of hockey. Prime Minister Modi gave this information by tweeting on 6 August 2021.
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (from the year 1991 to 2023)
Major Dhyanchand Khel Ratna, formerly known as Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, is India's highest sports award. The honor was earlier named after former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi but on 6 August 2021 the name of the award has been changed to Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. This honor was started in 1991-92. This honor was established for appreciation and awareness in the field of sports. Its objective is to increase the prestige of the players by honoring them so that they can get more respect in the society. It is an honor to receive India's Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award for achievement in sports.
Who was Major Dhyan Chand?
Major Dhyan Chand was an Indian hockey player and captain, who is counted among the best players in the world. Major Dhyan Chand was called the magician of hockey. No player in the world has been able to reach even around the record of popularity Dhyan Chand has set in the game of hockey. He used to practice a lot even at night, so he was called by his companions as Chand. He was a member of the Indian hockey team that won three Olympic gold medals. His date of birth is celebrated as "National Sports Day" in India. He scored more than 1000 goals in his playing life.
Brief information about Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award
| Category of award | Game |
| Establishment year | 1991-92 |
| Prize money | 7,50,000 |
| First winner | Viswanathan Anand |
| National Sports Awards 2021 Winners | Neeraj Chopra (athletics), Ravi Kumar (wrestling), Lovlina Borgohain (boxing), PR Sreejesh (hockey), Avni Lekhara (para shooting), Sumit Antil (para athletics), Pramod Bhagat (para badminton), Krishna Nagar (para badminton) Manish Narwal (Para Shooting), Mithali Raj (Cricket), Sunil Chhetri (Football), Manpreet Singh (Hockey) |
| Previous/Previous Winners (2019) | Bajrang Punia (Wrestling) and Deepa Malik (Para Athletics) |
| Description | Highest sports award given in India |
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2021
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the National Sports Awards 2021 on 02 November 2021, 12 players were given Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2021. The prizes were presented to all the winners in a special function to be held on 13th November, 2021 (Saturday) at 4.30 pm in the hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan. National Sports Awards are given every year for outstanding performance in sports.
Prize Money of Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award
The award carries a medal, a certificate of honor and a cash reward. Till 2004-05, the number of cash rupees was 5,00,000/-. Now this number has been increased from 5,00,000 to 7,50,000. Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna (completed Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna) is given annually to sportspersons in which an individual or team is awarded for outstanding sports performance. Railway pass facility is provided to the honored persons by the Government of India under which Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna awardees can travel free of cost in first and second class air-conditioned coaches in Rajdhani or Shatabdi trains. Here is the list of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awardees.
List of players who received Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award:
| Year | Name of the awardee | Game |
| 1991-92 | Viswanathan Anand | Chess |
| 1992-93 | Geet Sethi | Billiards |
| 1993-94 | Homi Motiwala (Joint) | Sailing |
| 1993-94 | Pushpendra Kumar Garg (Joint) | Sailing |
| 1994-95 | Karnam Malleswari | Lifting |
| 1995-96 | Kunjarani Devi (Joint) | Lifting |
| 1996-97 | Leander Paes (Joint) | Tennis |
| 1997-98 | Sachin Tendulkar | Cricket |
| 1998-99 | Jyotirmay Sikdar | Athletics (track and field) |
| 1999-2000 | Dhanraj Pillai | hockey |
| 2000-01 | Pullela Gopichand | Badminton |
| 2001 | Abhinav Bindra | Shooting |
| 2002 | Anjali Ved Pathak (Joint) | Shooting |
| 2002 | K.M. Binamol (combined) | Athletics (track and field) |
| 2003 | Anju Bobby George | Athletics (track and field) |
| 2004 | Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore | Shooting |
| 2005 | Pankaj Advani | Billiards and Snooker |
| 2006 | Manavjit Singh Sandhu | Shooting |
| 2007 | Mahendra Singh Dhoni | Cricket |
| 2009 | Mary Kom (combined) | Boxing |
| 2009 | Vijendra Kumar Singh (Joint) | Boxing |
| 2009 | Sushil Kumar (Joint) | Wrestling |
| 2010 | Saina Nehwal | Badminton |
| 2011 | Gagan Narang | Shooting |
| 2012 | Vijay Kumar | Shooting |
| 2012 | Yogeshwar Dutt | Wrestling |
| 2013 | Ronjan Sodhi | Shooting |
| 2015 | Sania Mirza | Tennis |
| 2016 | P.V. Indus | Badminton |
| 2016 | Deepa Karmakar | Gymnastics |
| 2016 | Jitu Rai | Shooting |
| 2016 | Sakshi Malik | Wrestling |
| 2017 | Sardar Singh | Hockey |
| 2017 | Devendra Jhanjharia | Javelin throw |
| 2018 | Virat Kohli | Cricket |
| 2018 | Saikhom Mirabai Chanu | Lifting |
| 2019 | Bajrang Punia | Wrestling |
| 2019 | Deepa Malik | Para athletics |
| 2020 | Rohit Sharma | Cricket |
| 2020 | Vinesh Phogat | Wrestling |
| 2020 | Manika Batra | Table tennis |
| 2020 | Rani Rampal | Hockey |
| 2020 | mariyappan thangavelu | Para athlete |
| 2021 | Neeraj Chopra | Athletics |
| 2021 | Ravi Kumar | Wrestling |
| 2021 | Lovlina Borgohain | Boxing |
| 2021 | PR Sreejesh | Hockey |
| 2021 | Avani Lekhara | Para shooting |
| 2021 | Sumit Antil | Para athletics |
| 2021 | Pramod Bhagat | Para Badminton |
| 2021 | Krishna Nagar | Para Badminton |
| 2021 | Manish Narwal | Para shooting |
| 2021 | Mithali Raj | Cricket |
| 2021 | Sunil Chhetri | Football |
| 2021 | Manpreet Singh | Hockey |
Important Note:
1. Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna was not given to anyone in the year 2008.
2. Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna was not given to anyone in the year 2014.