ADVERTISEMENTA former Davis Cup mainstay, Amritraj had earlier been awarded the Padma Shri in 1983 and the Arjuna Award in 1974. In 2025, she captained India to their first ICC Women’s World Cup title, defeating South Africa in the final at Navi Mumbai. Former wrestling coach Vladimer Mestvirishvili, who trained Olympic medallists Yogeshwar Dutt and Bajrang Punia, was awarded the Padma Shri posthumously. In all, 131 Padma Awards were announced for 2026. The list includes five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri awards across fields such as sports, arts, literature and public service.

Source: The Telegraph January 25, 2026 13:15 UTC