Padma Awards 2026: Rohit Sharma, Harmanpreet Kaur among sports honourees to be felicitated soon

The Government of India announced the Padma Awards 2026 on the occasion of Republic Day, honouring exceptional contributions across various fields, including sports. Cricket stood out prominently, with Indian women’s team captain Harmanpreet Kaur being awarded the Padma Shri after leading the side to a historic World Cup triumph.

Rohit Sharma was awarded the Padma Shri in 2026 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Indian cricket, highlighted by his leadership in guiding India in the T20 World Cup in 2024 and the Champions Trophy in 2025. Veteran tennis player and former Davis Cup star Vijay Amritraj is the only sportsperson to receive the Padma Bhushan this year, acknowledging his contributions to Indian tennis. He had earlier been honoured with the Padma Shri in 1983.

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This year, the President of India approved a total of 131 Padma Awards, including five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri honours. Among the awardees are 19 women and six foreign nationals/non-resident Indians (NRIs)/persons of Indian origin (PIOs)/Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs), along with 16 awardees honoured posthumously.

Indian sport received significant recognition in the 2026 honours list, celebrating athletes and contributors who have left a lasting impact across disciplines.

About Padma Award

One of the country’s highest civilian honours, the Padma Awards are conferred in three categories, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, for exceptional and distinguished service to the nation.  Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service, Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of a high order, and Padma Shri for distinguished service in any field.

The awards are given across a wide range of disciplines, including art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, and civil service. The Padma Awards are given by the President of India at ceremonial functions held every year at Rashtrapati Bhavan in March/April in New Delhi.

Full list of Padma Awards 2026: Sports Awardees

Padma Bhushan

Shri Vijay Amritraj – United States of America

Padma Shri

Shri Baldev Singh – Punjab

Shri Bhagwandas Raikwar – Madhya Pradesh

Ms Harmanpreet Kaur Bhullar – Punjab

Shri K Pajanivel – Puducherry

Shri Praveen Kumar – Uttar Pradesh

Shri Rohit Sharma – Maharashtra

Ms Savita Punia – Haryana

Shri Vladimer Mestvirishvili (Posthumous) – Georgia