Padma Awards 2026 honoured India’s top sportspersons as Rohit Sharma, Harmanpreet Kaur and Savita Punia received Padma Shri, while tennis legend Vijay Amritraj was conferred the Padma Bhushan. Here’s the full list of winners from sports.
India’s sporting heroes were honoured as the government announced the Padma Awards 2026 on Sunday, with World Cup-winning cricket captains
Rohit Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur among the recipients. A total of nine sportspersons and coaches were conferred with Padma Awards this year for their outstanding contribution to Indian sports.
Rohit Sharma was honoured with the Padma Shri following his successful run as India’s captain. Under his leadership, India won the T20 World Cup in 2024 and the Champions Trophy in 2025, ending long waits for major ICC titles. India also reached the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup under Rohit’s captaincy.
Indian women’s cricket captain
Harmanpreet Kaur also received the Padma Shri after leading the team to their maiden ICC Women’s World Cup title late last year. Her achievement marked a historic moment for women’s cricket in the country.
Indian women’s hockey team goalkeeper Savita Punia was another notable recipient of the Padma Shri. Savita played a key role in India’s impressive performance at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where the women’s team finished fourth for the first time. She was also the vice-captain of the side during the Games.
Tennis legend Vijay Amritraj was conferred with the Padma Bhushan. Amritraj has been one of India’s most respected figures in tennis. The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award, while the Padma Shri is the fourth-highest.
Veteran hockey coach Baldev Singh was also honoured with the Padma Shri for his long service to Indian hockey.
The Padma Shri was also awarded posthumously to legendary Georgian wrestling coach Vladimir Mestvirishvili. He was a mentor to several Indian wrestlers and trained Olympic medal winners such as Yogeshwar Dutt, Sushil Kumar, Ravi Dahiya and Bajrang Punia.
Padma Awards 2026: Sports winners list
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Vijay Amritraj – Padma Bhushan
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Baldev Singh – Padma Shri
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Bhagwandas Raikwar – Padma Shri
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Harmanpreet Kaur – Padma Shri
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K Pajanivel – Padma Shri
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Praveen Kumar – Padma Shri
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Rohit Sharma – Padma Shri
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Savita Punia – Padma Shri
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Vladimir Mestvirishvili (Posthumous) – Padma Shri
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