The Arjuna Award was for long the highest national award for outstanding performance in sports by an Indian athlete in Athletics, Gymnastics, Billiards, Badminton, Boxing, Cricket, Chess, Field hockey, Shooting, Tennis, Snooker, Wrestling, and Weightlifting. It was instituted in 1961, but has since been surpassed in importance by the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.
There has always been a lot of controversy surrounding the Arjuna Awards and many questions have been raised about the worthiness of some of the recipients of this prize. Since April 2002, this award only recognizes outstanding performances by sportspersons at the international stage.
There’s a Selection Committee headed by a Chairperson who is usually a distinguished sportsperson, 12 other members who have achieved great things in different sports and a Deputy Secretary (Sports) from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, that decides who is to get the award.
The award consists of a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh, a scroll, a monogram, a specially created blazer and a tie. Sportspersons who have been found positive for the use of drugs banned by the International Olympic Committee are not eligible for the prize.
Recommendations for the Arjuna Award are invited by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), the state governments and all national sports federations that re recognized by the Government of India.
Among the famous winners of this awards include star athlete PT Usha, badminton players Saina Nehwal and P.V. Sindhu, cricketers Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Virat Kohli, tennis stars Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupati, and footballer Baichung Bhutia.
Arjuna Awards 2016 Winners List
| S. No. | Name of the awardee | Discipline |
| 1. | Shri Rajat Chauhan | Archery |
| 2. | Ms. Lalita Babar | Athletics |
| 3. | Shri Sourav Kothari | Billiards & Snooker |
| 4. | Shri Shiva Thapa | Boxing |
| 5. | Shri Ajinkya Rahane | Cricket |
| 6. | Shri Subrata Paul | Football |
| 7. | Ms. Rani | Hockey |
| 8. | Shri Raghunath V.R. | Hockey |
| 9. | Shri Gurpreet Singh | Shooting |
| 10. | Ms. Apurvi Chandela | Shooting |
| 11. | Shri Soumyajit Ghosh | Table Tennis |
| 12. | Ms. Vinesh | Wrestling |
| 13. | Shri Amit Kumar | Wrestling |
| 14. | Shri Sandeep Singh Mann | Para-Athletics |
| 15. | Shri Virender Singh | Wrestling (Deaf) |
Arjuna Awardees in Archery, Arjuna Awardees in Athletics, Arjuna Awardees in Badminton, Arjuna Awardees in Ball Badminton, Arjuna Awardees in Basketball, Arjuna Awardees in Billiards & Snooker, Arjuna Awardees in Boxing, Arjuna Awardees in Carrom, Arjuna Awardees in Chess, Arjuna Awardees in Cricket, Arjuna Awardees in Cycling, Arjuna Awardees in Equestrian, Arjuna Awardees in Football, Arjuna Awardees in Golf, Arjuna Awardees in Gymnastics, Arjuna Awardees in Hockey, Arjuna Awardees in Judo, Arjuna Awardees in Kabaddi, Arjuna Awardees in Lawn Tennis, Arjuna Awardees in Roller Skating, Arjuna Awardees in Rowing, Arjuna Awardees in Polo, Arjuna Awardees in Shooting, Arjuna Awardees in Squash, Arjuna Awardees in Swimming, Arjuna Awardees in Table Tennis, Arjuna Awardees in Volleyball, Arjuna Awardees in Weightlifting, Arjuna Awardees in Wrestling, Arjuna Awardees in Wushu, Arjuna Awardees in Yachting