The Dronacharya Award is given to Coaches in Sports and Games. The award is named after “Guru Dronacharya.” He is a character from the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata of ancient India. He was master of advanced military warfare and was appointed as the majestical teacher to the Kaurava and the Pandava princes for their training in military arts and astral. This is conferred every year by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. A committee made by the Ministry selects recipients. Two awards are referred for the lifetime contribution in coaching where the achievements in producing “outstanding sportspersons” throughout 20 years or more are considered. This award consists of a bronze idol of Dronacharya, a certificate, ceremonial dress and a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh. This award started in 1985. Bhalachandra Bhaskar Bhagwat was the first recipients of the award in wrestling along with Om Prakash Bhardwaj (Boxing) and O. M. Nambiar (Athletics) in 1985. The most recent recipients of the award are R. Gandhi (Athletics), Heera Nand Kataria (Kabaddi).
List of latest Winner of Dronacharya Award 2019
| Year |
Recipient(s) |
Discipline(s) |
| 2018 |
Subedar Chenanda Achaiah Kuttappa |
Boxing |
| 2018 |
Vijay Sharma |
Weightlifting |
| 2018 |
A. Srinivasa Rao |
Table Tennis |
| 2018 |
Sukhdev Singh Pannu |
Athletics |
| 2018 |
Clarence Lobo |
Hockey |
| 2018 |
Tarak Sinha |
Cricket |
| 2018 |
Jiwan Kumar Sharma |
Judo |
| 2018 |
V.R. Beedu |
Athletics |
| 2017 |
R. Gandhi |
Athletics |
| 2017 |
Heera Nand Kataria |
Kabaddi |
| 2017 |
G. S. S. V. Prasad |
Badminton |
| 2017 |
Brij Bhushan Mohanty |
Boxing |
| 2017 |
P. A. Raphel |
Hockey |
| 2017 |
Sanjoy Chakraverty |
Shooting |
| 2017 |
Roshan Lal |
Wrestling |
| 2016 |
Sagar Mal Dhayal |
Boxing |
| 2016 |
S. Pradeep Kumar |
Swimming |
| 2016 |
Bishweshwar Nandi |
Gymnastics |
| 2016 |
Mahavir Singh Phogat |
Wrestling |
| 2016 |
Nagapuri Ramesh |
Athletics |
| 2016 |
Rajkumar Sharma |
Cricket |
| 2015 |
Nihar Ameen |
Swimming |
| 2015 |
Anoop Singh |
Wrestling |
| 2015 |
Harbans Singh |
Athletics |
| 2015 |
Naval Singh |
Athletics |
| 2015 |
Swatantar Raj Singh |
Boxing |
| 2014 |
Gurcharan Gogi |
Judo |
| 2014 |
Jose Jacob |
Rowing |
| 2014 |
N. Lingappa |
Athletics |
| 2014 |
Ganapathy Manoharan |
Boxing |
| 2014 |
Mahabir Prasad |
Wrestling |
| 2013 |
Purnima Mahato |
Archery |
| 2013 |
Narender Singh Saini |
Hockey |
| 2013 |
Mahavir Singh |
Boxing |
| 2013 |
Raj Singh |
Wrestling |
| 2013 |
K. P. Thomas |
Athletics |
| 2012 |
Jasvinder Singh Bhatia |
Athletics |
| 2012 |
Sunil Dabas |
Kabaddi |
| 2012 |
B. I. Fernandez |
Boxing |
| 2012 |
Bhawani Mukherjee |
Table Tennis |
| 2012 |
Virender Poonia |
Athletics |
| 2012 |
Satyapal Singh |
Athletics |
| 2012 |
Harendra Singh |
Hockey |
| 2012 |
Yashvir Singh |
Wrestling |
| 2011 |
Devender Kumar Rathore |
Gymnastics |
| 2011 |
Kuntal Kumar Roy |
Athletics |
| 2011 |
Ramphal |
Wrestling |
| 2011 |
Inukurthi Venkateshwara Roy |
Boxing |
| 2011 |
Rajinder Singh Jr. |
Hockey |
| 2010 |
Subhash Agarwal |
Billiards & Snooker |
| 2010 |
Ajay Kumar Bansal |
Hockey |
| 2010 |
Captain Chandrup |
Wrestling |
| 2010 |
A. K. Kutty |
Athletics |
| 2010 |
L Ibomcha Singh |
Boxing |
| 2009 |
Jaydev Bisht |
Boxing |
| 2009 |
Pullela Gopichand |
Badminton |
| 2009 |
S. Baldev Singh |
Hockey |
| 2009 |
Satpal Singh |
Wrestling |
| 2008 |
No Award |
| 2007 |
Jagdish Singh |
Boxing |
| 2007 |
Jagminder Singh |
Wrestling |
| 2007 |
Sanjeeva Kumar Singh |
Archery |
| 2007 |
G. E. Sridharan |
Volleyball |
| 2006 |
Koneru Ashok |
Chess |
| 2006 |
Damodaran Chandralal |
Boxing |
| 2006 |
R. D. Singh |
Athletics |
| 2005 |
Ismail Baig |
Rowing |
| 2005 |
Maha Singh Rao |
Wrestling |
| 2005 |
Balwan Singh |
Kabaddi |
| 2005 |
M. Venu |
Boxing |
| 2004 |
Cyrus Poncha |
Squash |
| 2004 |
Arvind Savur |
Billiards & Snooker |
| 2004 |
Sunita Sharma |
Cricket |
| 2003 |
Sukhchain Singh Cheema |
Wrestling |
| 2003 |
Robert Bobby George |
Athletics |
| 2003 |
Anoop Kumar |
Boxing |
| 2003 |
Rajinder Singh Jr. |
Hockey |
| 2002 |
Maharaj Krishan Kaushik |
Hockey |
| 2002 |
Renu Kohli |
Athletics |
| 2002 |
Homi Motivala |
Yachting |
| 2002 |
E. Prasad Rao |
Kabaddi |
| 2002 |
Jaswant Singh |
Athletics |
| 2001 |
Michael Ferreira |
Billiards & Snooker |
| 2001 |
Sunny Thomas |
Shooting |
| 2000 |
S. M. Arif |
Badminton |
| 2000 |
Gudial Singh Bhangu |
Hockey |
| 2000 |
Bhupender Dhawan |
Powerlifting |
| 2000 |
Gopal Purushottam Phadke |
Kho kho |
| 2000 |
Hansa Sharma |
Weightlifting |
| 1999 |
Kenneth Owen Bosen |
Athletics |
| 1999 |
Hawa Singh |
Boxing |
| 1999 |
Ajay Kumar Sirohi |
Weightlifting |
| 1998 |
G. S. Sandhu |
Boxing |
| 1998 |
Hargobind Singh Sandhu |
Athletics |
| 1998 |
Bahadur Singh Chouhan |
Athletics |
| 1997 |
Joginder Singh Saini |
Athletics |
| 1996 |
Wilson Jones |
Billiards & Snooker |
| 1996 |
Pal Singh Sandhu |
Weightlifting |
| 1995 |
Shyam Sunder Rao |
Volleyball |
| 1995 |
Karan Singh |
Athletics |
| 1994 |
Ilyas Babar |
Athletics |
| 1993 |
No Award |
| 1992 |
No Award |
| 1991 |
No Award |
| 1990 |
Ramakant Achrekar |
Cricket |
| 1990 |
Syed Naeemuddin |
Football |
| 1990 |
A. Ramana Rao |
Volleyball |
| 1989 |
No Award |
| 1988 |
No Award |
| 1987 |
Guru Hanuman |
Wrestling |
| 1987 |
Gurcharan Singh |
Cricket |
| 1986 |
Desh Prem Azad |
Cricket |
| 1986 |
Raghunandan Vasant Gokhle |
Chess |
| 1985 |
Bhalachandra Bhaskar Bhagwat |
Wrestling |
| 1985 |
Om Prakash Bhardwaj |
Boxing |
| 1985 |
O. M. Nambiar |
Athletics |
