The Dronacharya Award
The Dronacharya Award is a prestigious sports coaching award in India. It is named after Dronacharya, the legendary guru (teacher) of archery from the Indian epic Mahabharata. Instituted in 1985 by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, the award recognizes and honors outstanding coaches who have made significant contributions to the development and success of athletes in various sports disciplines.
Here are some key points about the Dronacharya Award:
Purpose: The Dronacharya Award aims to acknowledge the invaluable role of coaches in shaping and nurturing athletes’ talent, performance, and career. It recognizes coaches who have demonstrated exceptional skills, expertise, and commitment to coaching athletes at the highest level.
Categories: The Dronacharya Award is presented in different categories to honor coaches from various sports disciplines. The categories include Regular Category (coaching in Olympic and non-Olympic disciplines), Lifetime Achievement Category (for long and outstanding coaching careers), and the newly introduced “Institutional” category (for coaches employed by public sector undertakings, universities, etc.).
Eligibility: Coaches of Indian nationality who have produced outstanding results and made a significant impact in coaching athletes at the national and international level are eligible for the Dronacharya Award. The coach should have at least 15 years of coaching experience.
Selection Process: The selection of awardees for the Dronacharya Award is carried out by a committee constituted by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The committee evaluates the nominees based on various criteria, including their coaching achievements, the performance of the athletes under their guidance, their coaching methodology, and their overall contribution to the sport.
Recognition and Rewards: Recipients of the Dronacharya Award are honored with a statuette, a certificate, and a cash prize. The cash prize amount has varied over the years and is determined by the government. The award serves as a mark of recognition for the coach’s exceptional coaching abilities and their significant contribution to the development of the sport.
National Sports Awards: The Dronacharya Award is one of the prestigious National Sports Awards in India, along with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award, and Major Dhyan Chand Award. These awards collectively recognize and honor excellence in sports and celebrate the contributions of athletes, coaches, and administrators.
Notable Recipients: Over the years, many renowned coaches from various sports disciplines have received the Dronacharya Award. Some notable recipients include Pullela Gopichand (badminton), P. Gopichand (cricket), Harendra Singh (hockey), Satyanarayana Shimoga (para-badminton), and Pradeep Kumar Sangwan (boxing), among others.
The Dronacharya Award holds immense significance in Indian sports and acknowledges the pivotal role played by coaches in nurturing and guiding athletes to achieve their full potential. It serves as a motivation for coaches to continue their dedicated efforts in shaping the sporting landscape of the country.