Tennis legend Vijay Amritraj, World Cup winning captains Rohit Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur were among the prominent sportspersons honoured in the Padma Awards for 2026, announced on Sunday.
Amritraj was the only sportsperson to receive the Padma Bhushan this year. India's third-highest civilian honour, the award recognises his pioneering role in putting Indian tennis on the global map during the amateur and early Open Era.
A former Davis Cup stalwart, Amritraj had earlier received the Padma Shri in 1983 and the Arjuna Award in 1974. He had reached the singles quarterfinals at Wimbledon and the US Open twice and later served Indian sport in various administrative and ambassadorial roles.
Former India captain Rohit and the 2025 ODI World Cup winning skipper Harmanpreet were among several sportspersons named for the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour.
Rohit's recognition follows a defining leadership phase in Indian men's cricket. As captain, he guided India to two ICC titles, lifting the T20 World Cup in 2024 and the Champions Trophy in 2025.
After winning the T20 World Cup, Rohit retired from the shortest format and later stepped away from Test cricket in 2025, continuing to feature in ODIs.
Harmanpreet's Padma Shri comes after a landmark year in Indian women's cricket. In 2025, she led India to their maiden ICC Women's World Cup title on home soil, defeating South Africa in the final at Navi Mumbai.
The triumph made her the first Indian captain to lift the Women's World Cup and only the second Indian skipper overall to win a World Cup at home, after MS Dhoni.
Other sportspersons honoured with the Padma Shri include Paralympic gold medal winning high-jumper Praveen Kumar, Indian women's hockey goalkeeper Savita Punia, veteran coach Baldev Singh, and K Pajanivel.
Former wrestling coach Vladimer Mestvirishvili, who had trained Olympic medal winners Yogeshwar Dutt and Bajrang Punia, was awarded the Padma Shri posthumously.
The Centre announced a total of 131 Padma Awards for 2026, comprising five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri honours across various fields, including sports, arts, literature and public service.
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