The National Sports Awards include the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the Arjuna, Dronacharya and Dhyanchand honours, conferred every year by the President of India at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on August 29

Being a former awardee himself, Gurbax Singh Sandhu is entitled to recommend names for the national sports awards

The National Sports Awards are given on August 29 every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand

Selection Committee for Sports Awards 2019 nominated names of Bajrang Punia (wrestling) and Deepa Malik (para-athletics) for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and 19 payers including cricketer Ravindra Jadeja and athlete Mohammed Anas Yahiya for the Arjuna Award