Dronacharya Award: Honoring India’s Legendary Coaches
The Dronacharya Award is India’s highest recognition for sports coaches who have produced outstanding athletes and contributed to the nation’s sporting success.
Instituted in 1985, the Dronacharya Award is India’s highest honor for sports coaches, recognizing their dedication and excellence in training athletes, and celebrating the mentors who shape champions and contribute to the nation’s sporting success.
- Instituted in 1985, this award recognizes coaches for their outstanding contribution to India’s sporting excellence.
- Behind every great athlete is a mentor—Dronacharya Award celebrates those guiding India to sporting glory.
- The Dronacharya Award inspires future generations by acknowledging the coaches who nurture talent and build champions.
Since its introduction in 1985, more than 140 sports coaches have received the Dronacharya Award. Each recipient has played a crucial role in shaping athletes and strengthening India’s sporting achievements. The growing number of awardees reflects the nation’s deep respect for mentorship, discipline, and dedicated coaching.
Dronacharya Award Winner List:
| Year | Recipient Name | Field | State | Profession | Description |
| 1985 | Bhalachandra Bhaskar Bhagwat | Wrestling | Maharashtra | Wrestling Coach | Veteran Indian wrestling coach known for training national-level wrestlers and promoting the sport at grassroots level. |
| 1985 | Om Prakash Bhardwaj | Boxing | Delhi | Boxing Coach | Former national boxing coach, regarded as a key figure in modernizing Indian boxing training systems. |
| 1985 | O. M. Nambiar | Athletics | Kerala | Athletics Coach | Legendary sprint coach best known for mentoring Olympian P. T. Usha and elevating Indian track performance. |
| 1986 | Desh Prem Azad | Cricket | Haryana | Cricket Coach | Celebrated cricket coach credited with shaping future stars, including India’s World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev. |
| 1986 | Raghunandan Vasant Gokhle | Chess | Maharashtra | Chess Coach | Influential Indian chess trainer who nurtured competitive chess talent and contributed to its national growth. |
| 1987 | Guru Hanuman | Wrestling | Delhi | Wrestling Guru & Coach | Iconic wrestling mentor whose akhara produced multiple national and international champions. |
| 1987 | Gurcharan Singh | Cricket | Punjab | Cricket Coach | Prominent Indian cricket coach known for developing young talent and contributing to domestic cricket excellence. |
| 1990 | Ramakant Achrekar | Cricket | Maharashtra | Cricket Coach | Legendary Mumbai coach who trained numerous cricketers, including Sachin Tendulkar, shaping India’s cricket future. |
| 1990 | Syed Naeemuddin | Football | Telangana | Football Coach | Former India defender turned national coach, instrumental in strengthening Indian football training systems. |
| 1990 | A. Ramana Rao | Volleyball | Andhra Pradesh | Volleyball Coach | Experienced volleyball coach recognized for developing state and national-level teams and athletes. |
| 1994 | Ilyas Babar | Athletics | Telangana | Athletics Coach | Veteran athletics coach credited with grooming national middle-distance runners and strengthening training systems in Hyderabad. |
| 1995 | Shyam Sunder Rao | Volleyball | Andhra Pradesh | Volleyball Coach | Prominent volleyball mentor known for developing national players and contributing to India’s women’s volleyball success. |
| 1995 | Karan Singh | Athletics | Haryana | Athletics Coach | Indian track and field coach recognized for nurturing state-level sprinters and middle-distance athletes. |
| 1996 | Wilson Jones | Billiards & Snooker | Maharashtra | Cue Sports Coach | Former world billiards champion who later coached and promoted cue sports across India. |
| 1996 | Pal Singh Sandhu | Weightlifting | Punjab | Weightlifting Coach | National weightlifting trainer known for preparing competitive lifters for national championships. |
| 1997 | Joginder Singh Saini | Athletics | Haryana | Athletics Coach | Highly respected athletics administrator and coach credited with shaping Indian track and field development. |
| 1998 | G. S. Sandhu | Boxing | Punjab | Boxing Coach | National boxing coach known for training elite boxers and strengthening India’s coaching framework. |
| 1998 | Hargobind Singh Sandhu | Athletics | Punjab | Athletics Coach | Veteran athletics coach recognized for developing rural sporting talent in Punjab. |
| 1998 | Bahadur Singh Chouhan | Athletics | Rajasthan | Athletics Coach | Former shot-put athlete turned coach who contributed to India’s throws coaching ecosystem. |
| 1999 | Kenneth Owen Bosen | Athletics | — | Athletics Coach | Foreign athletics expert invited to India, known for scientific training methods and athlete development. |
| 1999 | Hawa Singh | Boxing | Haryana | Boxing Coach | Two-time Asian Games gold medalist and famed coach who trained generations of heavyweight boxers. |
| 1999 | Ajay Kumar Sirohi | Weightlifting | Uttar Pradesh | Weightlifting Coach | Indian weightlifting trainer recognized for guiding national-level lifters. |
| 2000 | S. M. Arif | Badminton | Telangana | Badminton Coach | Renowned national badminton coach celebrated for mentoring several international shuttlers. |
| 2000 | Gudial Singh Bhangu | Hockey | Punjab | Hockey Coach | Veteran hockey coach known for developing competitive players in India’s domestic circuit. |
| 2000 | Bhupender Dhawan | Powerlifting | Delhi | Powerlifting Coach | Award-winning strength and powerlifting coach responsible for producing multiple champions. |
| 2000 | Gopal Purushottam Phadke | Kho Kho | Maharashtra | Kho Kho Coach | Influential traditional sports coach who promoted kho-kho nationally and trained medal-winning teams. |
| 2000 | Hansa Sharma | Weightlifting | Haryana | Weightlifting Coach | Pioneer women’s weightlifting coach credited with encouraging female participation in strength sports. |
| 2001 | Michael Ferreira | Billiards & Snooker | Maharashtra | Cue Sports Coach & Former Player | Three-time world amateur billiards champion who later promoted cue sports coaching in India. |
| 2001 | Sunny Thomas | Shooting | Kerala | Shooting Coach | Former national shooting coach credited with developing India’s elite rifle and pistol shooters. |
| 2002 | Maharaj Krishan Kaushik | Hockey | Haryana | Hockey Coach | Former Olympic gold medalist who later became a prominent national hockey coach. |
| 2002 | Renu Kohli | Athletics | Himachal Pradesh | Athletics Coach | Track and field coach recognized for developing middle- and long-distance runners. |
| 2002 | Homi Motivala | Yachting | Maharashtra | Sailing Coach | Asian Games medalist turned coach who helped advance competitive sailing in India. |
| 2002 | E. Prasad Rao | Kabaddi | Andhra Pradesh | Kabaddi Coach | Influential kabaddi coach known for producing national-level players and promoting traditional sport training. |
| 2002 | Jaswant Singh | Athletics | Punjab | Athletics Coach | Indian athletics trainer dedicated to strengthening grassroots sports development. |
| 2003 | Sukhchain Singh Cheema | Wrestling | Punjab | Wrestling Coach | Renowned coach from a wrestling family, trained multiple national champions. |
| 2003 | Robert Bobby George | Athletics | Kerala | Athletics & Jumps Coach | High-performance athletics coach best known for mentoring long-jumpers, including Anju Bobby George. |
| 2003 | Anoop Kumar | Boxing | Punjab | Boxing Coach | National boxing trainer recognized for preparing competitive amateur boxers. |
| 2003 | Rajinder Singh Jr. | Hockey | Punjab | Hockey Coach | Former India player and respected coach contributing to domestic hockey excellence. |
| 2004 | Cyrus Poncha | Squash | Tamil Nadu | Squash Coach | National squash coach credited with raising India’s presence in global squash. |
| 2004 | Arvind Savur | Billiards & Snooker | Maharashtra | Cue Sports Coach | Veteran cue sports mentor instrumental in shaping national champions. |
| 2004 | Sunita Sharma | Cricket | Delhi | Cricket Coach | One of India’s earliest female cricket coaches, known for promoting women’s cricket training. |
| 2005 | Ismail Baig | Rowing | Delhi | Rowing Coach | Chief rowing coach of India who helped athletes achieve international performances. |
| 2005 | Maha Singh Rao | Wrestling | Haryana | Wrestling Coach | Traditional wrestling coach credited with developing rural grappling talent. |
| 2005 | Balwan Singh | Kabaddi | Haryana | Kabaddi Coach | Veteran kabaddi mentor associated with strengthening competitive national teams. |
| 2005 | M. Venu | Boxing | Kerala | Boxing Coach | National-level boxing coach known for nurturing emerging athletes. |
| 2006 | Koneru Ashok | Chess | Andhra Pradesh | Chess Coach | Indian chess trainer who contributed to training young competitive players. |
| 2006 | Damodaran Chandralal | Boxing | Kerala | Boxing Coach | Recognized boxing coach involved in developing state and national athletes. |
| 2006 | R. D. Singh | Athletics | Haryana | Athletics Coach | Esteemed athletics coach credited with mentoring para-athletes and track performers. |
| 2007 | Jagdish Singh | Boxing | Haryana | Boxing Coach | Founder of Bhiwani Boxing Club, mentor to many of India’s top Olympian boxers. |
| 2007 | Jagminder Singh | Wrestling | Haryana | Wrestling Coach | Renowned Indian wrestling coach associated with national wrestling academies. |
| 2007 | Sanjeeva Kumar Singh | Archery | Jharkhand | Archery Coach | National archery mentor who guided several international-level archers. |
| 2007 | G. E. Sridharan | Volleyball | Tamil Nadu | Volleyball Coach | Former India setter and accomplished coach developing top volleyball talent. |
| 2009 | Jaydev Bisht | Boxing | Uttarakhand | Boxing Coach | Indian boxing coach known for raising competitive standards in the sport. |
| 2009 | Pullela Gopichand | Badminton | Telangana | Badminton Coach | Legendary national coach credited with producing Olympic and world-class shuttlers. |
| 2009 | S. Baldev Singh | Hockey | Punjab | Hockey Coach | Highly respected coach noted for developing domestic and junior hockey talent. |
| 2009 | Satpal Singh | Wrestling | Delhi | Wrestling Coach | Padma Shri awardee and famed trainer of multiple international wrestlers. |
| 2010 | Subhash Agarwal | Billiards & Snooker | Delhi | Cue Sports Coach | Veteran cue sports mentor known for guiding India’s professional billiards players. |
| 2010 | Ajay Kumar Bansal | Hockey | Uttar Pradesh | Hockey Coach | Long-serving hockey coach involved in national coaching and athlete development. |
| 2010 | Captain Chandrup | Wrestling | Haryana | Wrestling Coach | Traditional wrestling mentor who trained athletes for national tournaments. |
| 2010 | A. K. Kutty | Athletics | Kerala | Athletics Coach | National athletics coach recognized for middle-distance coaching excellence. |
| 2010 | L. Ibomcha Singh | Boxing | Manipur | Boxing Coach | Influential North-East boxing coach who shaped rising talent in the region. |
| 2011 | Devender Kumar Rathore | Gymnastics | Uttar Pradesh | Gymnastics Coach | Indian gymnastics trainer who guided national-level artistic gymnasts. |
| 2011 | Ramphal | Wrestling | Haryana | Wrestling Coach | Veteran wrestling mentor known for preparing rural athletes for national competitions. |
| 2011 | Inukurthi Venkateshwara Roy | Boxing | Andhra Pradesh | Boxing Coach | National boxing coach credited with developing emerging amateur boxers. |
| 2011 | Kuntal Kumar Roy | Athletics | — | Athletics Coach | Honored for outstanding contribution to coaching and nurturing competitive Indian athletes. |
| 2011 | Rajinder Singh Jr. | Hockey | — | Hockey Coach | Awarded for shaping professional hockey talent and supporting India’s hockey development. |
| 2012 | Virender Poonia | Athletics | Rajasthan | Athletics Coach | Track and field coach recognized for mentoring international shot-putters. |
| 2012 | Satyapal Singh | Athletics | Haryana | Athletics Coach | Long-serving athletics mentor noted for developing throwers and sprinters. |
| 2012 | Harendra Singh | Hockey | Uttar Pradesh | Hockey Coach | Former international player turned coach, contributed to Indian junior hockey success. |
| 2012 | Yashvir Singh | Wrestling | Haryana | Wrestling Coach | National wrestling coach known for training medal-winning grapplers. |
| 2012 | Jasvinder Singh Bhatia | Athletics | — | Athletics Coach | Recognized for long-term contribution to training and developing national-level athletes in India. |
| 2012 | Bhawani Mukherjee | Table Tennis | — | Table Tennis Coach | Honored for mentoring competitive table tennis players and promoting the sport at national circuits. |
| 2013 | Mahavir Singh | Boxing | Haryana | Boxing Coach | Boxing mentor instrumental in shaping competitive youth boxing talent. |
| 2013 | Raj Singh | Wrestling | — | Wrestling Coach | Awarded for shaping competitive wrestlers and contributing significantly to India’s wrestling training system. |
| 2013 | K. P. Thomas | Athletics | — | Athletics Coach | Honored for decades of coaching excellence and nurturing top-performing Indian track-and-field athletes. |
| 2014 | Gurcharan Gogi | Judo | — | Judo Coach | Recognized for promoting judo nationwide and mentoring athletes to succeed at national and international events. |
| 2014 | Jose Jacob | Rowing | — | Rowing Coach | Honored for advancing rowing training and developing disciplined crews representing India in major competitions. |
| 2014 | N. Lingappa | Athletics | — | Athletics Coach | Awarded for long-term contribution to athletics and nurturing medal-winning Indian sprinters and runners. |
| 2014 | Ganapathy Manoharan | Boxing | — | Boxing Coach | Celebrated for strengthening Indian boxing through systematic coaching and producing competitive boxers. |
| 2015 | Nihar Ameen | Swimming | — | Swimming Coach | Honored for elevating competitive swimming in India and coaching athletes who achieved international success. |
| 2015 | Harbans Singh | Athletics | — | Athletics Coach | Recognized for decades of contribution to track and field and developing medal-winning Indian athletes. |
| 2015 | Swatantar Raj Singh | Boxing | — | Boxing Coach | Awarded for shaping the careers of national-level boxers and strengthening India’s boxing training system. |
| 2016 | S. Pradeep Kumar | Swimming | — | Swimming Coach | Honored for producing multiple national and international medalists and advancing competitive swimming training in India. |
| 2016 | Mahavir Singh Phogat | Wrestling | Haryana | Wrestling Coach | Celebrated for mentoring world-class wrestlers and contributing to India’s global success in women’s wrestling. |
| 2017 | G. S. S. V. Prasad | Badminton | — | Badminton Coach | Recognized for coaching elite Indian shuttlers and contributing to the growth of competitive badminton nationally. |
| 2017 | Brij Bhushan Mohanty | Boxing | — | Boxing Coach | Honored for mentoring national-level boxers and strengthening India’s boxing training infrastructure. |
| 2017 | P. A. Raphel | Hockey | — | Hockey Coach | Awarded for developing talented hockey players and promoting India’s hockey programs. |
| 2017 | Sanjoy Chakraverty | Shooting | — | Shooting Coach | Celebrated for coaching top shooters and enhancing India’s performance in competitive shooting. |
| 2017 | Roshan Lal | Wrestling | — | Wrestling Coach | Recognized for long-term contribution to wrestling coaching and developing competitive wrestlers. |
| 2018 | Clarence Lobo | Hockey | — | Hockey Coach | Honored for mentoring national-level hockey players and contributing to India’s hockey development. |
| 2018 | Tarak Sinha | Cricket | — | Cricket Coach | Celebrated for producing top Indian cricketers and promoting cricket training at the grassroots level. |
| 2018 | Jiwan Kumar Sharma | Judo | — | Judo Coach | Recognized for long-term contribution to judo and developing competitive athletes nationally. |
| 2018 | V. R. Beedu | Athletics | — | Athletics Coach | Awarded for coaching elite track-and-field athletes and strengthening athletics training programs in India. |
| 2019 | Rambir Singh Khokar | Kabaddi | — | Kabaddi Coach | Honored for developing national-level kabaddi players and promoting the traditional sport in India. |
| 2019 | Sanjay Bhardwaj | Cricket | — | Cricket Coach | Recognized for mentoring upcoming cricketers and strengthening grassroots cricket training programs. |
| 2019 | Merzban Patel | Hockey | — | Hockey Coach | Awarded for coaching and producing competitive hockey players at state and national levels. |
| 2020 | Dharmendra Tiwary | Archery | — | Archery Coach | Honored for training national archers and contributing to the growth of competitive archery in India. |
| 2020 | Purushotham Rai | Athletics | — | Athletics Coach | Recognized for coaching elite track-and-field athletes and strengthening India’s athletics programs. |
| 2020 | Shiv Singh | Boxing | — | Boxing Coach | Awarded for mentoring national-level boxers and promoting the sport at the grassroots level. |
| 2020 | Romesh Pathania | Hockey | — | Hockey Coach | Celebrated for developing competitive hockey players and supporting India’s hockey excellence. |
| 2020 | Krishan Kumar Hooda | Kabaddi | — | Kabaddi Coach | Recognized for coaching top kabaddi teams and promoting traditional Indian sports. |
| 2020 | Vijay Bhalchandra Munishwar | Powerlifting | — | Powerlifting Coach | Honored for training national-level powerlifters and advancing India’s strength sports. |
| 2020 | Naresh Kumar | Tennis | — | Tennis Coach | Awarded for coaching competitive tennis players and contributing to the sport’s development nationally. |
| 2020 | Om Parkash Dahiya | Wrestling | — | Wrestling Coach | Recognized for long-term contribution to wrestling coaching and developing medal-winning wrestlers. |
| 2021 | T. P. Ouseph | Athletics | — | Athletics Coach | Honored for coaching elite track-and-field athletes and strengthening India’s athletics programs. |
| 2021 | Sarkar Talwar | Cricket | — | Cricket Coach | Recognized for mentoring young cricketers and developing competitive cricket talent nationally. |
| 2021 | Sarpal Singh | Hockey | — | Hockey Coach | Awarded for training hockey players and supporting India’s performance at national and international levels. |
| 2021 | Ashan Kumar | Kabaddi | — | Kabaddi Coach | Celebrated for coaching competitive kabaddi teams and promoting traditional Indian sport. |
| 2021 | Tapan Kumar Panigrahi | Swimming | — | Swimming Coach | Honored for mentoring national-level swimmers and advancing swimming training in India. |
| 2021 | Sandhya Gurung | Boxing | — | Coach | Recognized for coaching top Indian boxers and supporting India’s performance in international boxing events. |
| 2022 | Bimal Prafulla Ghosh | Football | — | Football Coach | Awarded for developing national-level football players and promoting football in India. |
| 2022 | Raj Singh | Wrestling | — | Wrestling Coach | Celebrated for training wrestlers to compete at national and international levels. |
| 2022 | Jiwanjot Singh Teja | Archery | — | Coach | Awarded for guiding India’s emerging archers and strengthening grassroots archery programs. |
| 2022 | Surinder Kaur | Athletics | — | Coach | Known for training national athletes and contributing to athletics development across India. |
| 2023 | Bhaskaran E | Kabaddi | — | Kabaddi Coach | Recognized for mentoring national kabaddi teams and strengthening the sport in India. |
| 2023 | Jayanta Kumar Pushilal | Table Tennis | — | Table Tennis Coach | Awarded for developing competitive table tennis players and promoting the sport. |
| 2023 | Mahabir Prasad Saini | Wrestling | — | Coach | Acknowledged for shaping competitive wrestlers and supporting India’s traditional wrestling excellence. |
| 2023 | Shivendra Singh | Hockey | — | Coach | Honored for coaching and nurturing future hockey stars at national and international levels. |
| 2024 | Armando Colaco | Football | — | Football Coach | Recognized for mentoring football teams and contributing to India’s competitive football development. |
| 2024 | Vijay Sharma | Weightlifting | — | Coach | Recognized for developing medal-winning weightlifters and enhancing India’s weightlifting success globally. |
| 2024 | Sucha Singh | Athletics | — | Coach | Celebrated for long-term contribution to athletics coaching and athlete performance in India. |
