Kabaddi stars Surjeet Singh & Pooja Kajla bestowed with Arjuna Award 2025

The two stars received the Arjuna Award for their outstanding performances in Kabaddi.

Surjeet Singh Narwal and Pooja Kajla have been conferred with the Arjuna Award 2025. The Arjuna Award is a prestigious sports honour in India, awarded to athletes who have demonstrated outstanding performance in their respective sports.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announces these awards based on the recommendations of a selection committee. 17 players were honoured with the Arjuna Award for the year 2025, including two Kabaddi players.

Surjeet Singh, the defending mainstay of the Indian Men’s Kabaddi Team, and the recent sensation of the Women’s Kabaddi Team, Pooja Kajla, have been recognised for their contribution to the sport of Kabaddi.

Surjeet Singh – A veteran defender in Men’s Kabaddi

Surjeet is a seasoned kabaddi player who has played a pivotal role in promoting the sport over the past decade. He made his India debut in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon and won the Gold medal with the Indian team.

Probably the biggest moment in his Indian career came in the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup in India, when his move helped India win the world title. In the final, India faced Iran, and in a surprising turn of events, India were trailing at halftime.

While Ajay Thakur contributed to the attack, it was Surjeet-led defence that stood against the Iranian attack. In the last two minutes of the game, Iran’s Meraj Sheykh attempted a lion jump, but Surjeet caught him single-handedly, which sealed the game for India.

He was the most successful defender of the World Cup with 23 points and was awarded the ‘Defender of the Tournament’ award. He has also been one of the most sought-after defenders in the Pro Kabaddi League, having represented eight franchises and won the league last year.

He is the most successful Indian defender in PKL history, and this Arjuna award is a well-deserved recognition for the hard work he has put in over the years.

Pooja Kajla helped India win big tournaments

But for the young and energetic Pooja Kajla, it is an acknowledgement of her contributions to the Indian Team in the short span she has played.

Kajla has been with the Indian team for the last 4-5 years and has been amongst the headlines for all the right reasons. Her first success came with a gold in the 2022 Asian Games. Last year, she was part of the gold medal-winning campaign at the Asian Women’s Kabaddi Championship in Tehran.

Her aggressiveness and tenacity helped her score 13-raid points in the continental event. She became the 11th Women’s Kabaddi player to be given the Arjuna Award, while Surjeet is the 31st from the Men’s side to receive this sporting accolade.

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