This is the current affairs 18 August 2026. Here are questions and answers of daily current affairs for better preparation of competitive exams for government jobs.
1. How many players were selected for the Arjuna Award 2025?
a. 17
b. 22
c. 26
d. 30
Answer: a. 17
– The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the National Sports Awards 2025 on August 18, 2026.
– 17 players will be honored with the prestigious Arjuna Award.
About the Arjuna Award
– The ‘Arjuna Award for Outstanding Performance in Sports and Games’ is given for good performance, leadership, sportsmanship, and a sense of discipline during the preceding four-year period.
– It was started in the year 1961.
– The award carries a cash prize of Rs 15 lakh, a bronze statuette of Arjuna, and a certificate.
This time, the Khel Ratna Award was not given
– The Ministry of Sports has not announced the name of any athlete for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award this year.
– This had also happened earlier in 2014.
Under whose chairmanship was the selection committee?
– The Central Government has decided to confer awards upon the following players, coaches, and institutions under various categories based on the recommendations of the selection committee headed by former Supreme Court Judge Justice (Retired) Arun Kumar Mishra.
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2. Names of the 2025 Arjuna Award winners?
Winners, Sport and State/UT
1. Tejaswin Shankar (High Jump-Athletics) – Delhi
2. Mohammed Ajmal V (Track and Field Running-Athletics) – Kerala
3. Priyanka Goswami (Race Walking-Athletics) – Uttar Pradesh (Meerut)
4. Treesa Jolly (Badminton) – Kerala (Kannur)
5. Pullela Gayatri Gopichand (Badminton) – Telangana (Hyderabad)
6. Narendra (Boxing) – Haryana
7. Vidit Santosh Gujarati (Chess) – Maharashtra (Nashik)
8. Divya Jitendra Deshmukh (Chess) – Maharashtra (Nagpur)
9. Dhanush Srikanth (Deaf Shooting) – Telangana (Hyderabad)
10. Lalremsiami (Hockey) – Mizoram (Kolasib)
11. Surjeet (Kabaddi) – Haryana
12. Rudransh Khandelwal (Para-Shooting) – Rajasthan (Bharatpur)
13. Ekta Bhayan (Club Throw and Javelin Throw – Para-Athletics) – Haryana (Hisar)
14. Arvind Singh (Rowing) – Uttar Pradesh (Bulandshahr)
15. Akhil Sheoran (Shooting) – Uttar Pradesh (Baghpat)
16. Rajkumar Pal (Hockey) – Uttar Pradesh (Ghazipur)
17. Pooja (Kabaddi) – Haryana
—- Question for Prelims Exam —-
Q. Consider the following pairs with reference to the 2025 Arjuna Award winners and their respective sports:
Player : Sport
1) Vidit Santosh Gujarati : Chess
2) Priyanka Goswami : Shooting
3) Treesa Jolly : Badminton
4) Rudransh Khandelwal : Para-Shooting
Which of the above pairs are correctly matched?
(A) Only 1 and 3
(B) Only 1, 3 and 4
(C) Only 2 and 4
(D) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer: (B) Only 1, 3 and 4
Explanation:
– Pair 2 is incorrect because Priyanka Goswami is associated with Athletics (Race Walk).
– The remaining three pairs are correct.
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3. Name the winner of the Arjuna Award (Lifetime) 2025 for outstanding performance.
a. Sunil Chhetri
b. P.R. Sreejesh
c. I Arumainayagam
d. Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Answer: c. I Arumainayagam
– This award is given to honor and encourage those players who have contributed to sports through their performance.
– It is also given to those who continue to contribute to the promotion of sports even after retiring from their active sporting career.
About I. Arumainayagam
– I. Arumainayagam is a legendary Indian football player.
– He played football for the famous Mohun Bagan club of West Bengal.
– He won a Gold Medal at the 1962 Asian Games.
– He was selected for the Arjuna Award under the Lifetime Achievement category for his outstanding contribution to Indian football and for continuing to promote sports even after retiring from the sport.
—- Question for Prelims Exam —-
Q. Consider the following statements with reference to the National Sports Awards 2025:
1. Football player I. Arumainayagam has been honored with the ‘Arjuna Award (Lifetime) 2025’ for his continued contribution to the promotion of sports even after retiring from his sporting career.
2. Both hockey players Lalremsiami and Rajkumar Pal are included in the list of regular Arjuna Award 2025 winners.
3. Dhanush Srikanth has been selected for the Arjuna Award 2025 in the field of Deaf Shooting.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(A) Only 1 and 2
(B) Only 2 and 3
(C) Only 1 and 3
(D) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (D) 1, 2 and 3
Explanation:
– All three statements given above are completely correct.
– I. Arumainayagam (Football) has been given the Arjuna Award (Lifetime).
– Meanwhile, in the regular Arjuna Award 2025, Lalremsiami and Rajkumar Pal from Hockey and Dhanush Srikanth from Deaf Shooting are included in the list of winners.
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4. How many winners are there for the Dronacharya Award for Outstanding Coaches 2025 (Regular Category)?
a. 7
b. 6
c. 5
d. 3
Answer: d. 3
– This award is given to coaches who consistently perform excellent and commendable work.
– And enable players to achieve excellence in international competitions.
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5. Who was selected for the Dronacharya Award for Outstanding Coach 2025 (Regular Category)?
a. Chhote Lal Yadav
b. Neha Nandkumar
c. Parveer Singh
d. All of the above
Answer: d. All of the above (Chhote Lal Yadav, Neha Nandkumar
and Parveer Singh)
Dronacharya Award (Regular Category) List
1. Chhote Lal Yadav (Wrestling)
2. Neha Nandkumar Chavan (Shooting)
3. Parveer Singh (Athletics – Javelin Throw and Shot Put)
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6. Who received the Dronacharya Award for Outstanding Coach 2025 (Lifetime Category)?
a. Jaskirat Singh Grewal
b. Dharmendra Singh Yadav
c. Virendra Kumar
d. Both b and c
Answer: d. Both b and c (Dharmendra Singh Yadav and Virendra Kumar)
Dronacharya Award (Lifetime Category)
1. Dharmendra Singh Yadav (Boxing)
2. Virendra Kumar (Wrestling)
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7. Who is the winner of the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar 2025?
a. Jain Deemed University, Bangalore
b. TransStadia Enterprises Private Limited
c. Army Paralympic Node, Pune
d. Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology
Answer: c. Army Paralympic Node, Pune
– This award is given to corporate entities (public/private) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that have played a significant role in the field of sports promotion and development.
– Army Paralympic Node, Pune has done commendable work particularly in training, providing facilities to, and promoting para-sports (sports for persons with disabilities) and para-athletes.
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8. Who became the champion (gold medal winner) of the ‘Open Category’ at the Asian Junior Blitz Chess Championship 2026?
a. Vignesh Advait Vemula
b. Viresh Sharanarthi
c. Nandish V. S.
d. Akshay Borgaonkar
Answer: a. Vignesh Advait Vemula
– Host city: Mumbai, India
– Venue: ITC Maratha Sheraton (17-23 August 2026)
– Participating countries: 15+ Asian countries including India, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Iran
– Main highlight: In the 2026 edition, India achieved a complete clean sweep by winning all three medals (Gold, Silver, Bronze) in the Open category of the Blitz section.
Open Category
Medal : Winning Player : Country
– Gold : Vignesh Advait Vemula : India
– Silver : Viresh Sharanarthi : India
– Bronze : Nandish V. S. : India
Note – India’s Akshay Borgaonkar finished fourth and Madhavendra Pratap Sharma finished fifth.
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9. Who became the champion (gold medalist) in the ‘Girls’ Category’ at the Asian Junior Blitz Chess Championship 2026?
a. Sannidhi Bhat
b. Lala Shohradova
c. Saranya Devi
d. Shanmathi Sri
Answer: c. Saranya Devi
Girls’ Category
Medal : Winning Player : Country
– Gold : Saranya Devi : India
– Silver : Lala Shohradova / Prishita Gupta : Turkmenistan/India
– Bronze : Sannidhi Bhat / Shanmathi Sri : India
Asian Junior Chess Championship
– It is a continental chess competition for junior players of Asia.
– Less time is given in the Blitz format of chess.
– And the result is determined on the basis of points.
– Also, when players have equal points, the decision is made on the basis of tie-break scores.
—- Question for Prelims Exam —–
Q. Consider the following statements with reference to the Asian Junior Blitz Chess Championship 2026:
1) It was organized in New Delhi, India.
2) In the Open category, India won all three medals – Gold, Silver and Bronze – and achieved a clean sweep.
3) Vignesh Advait Vemula won the Gold Medal in the Open category.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(A) Only 1 and 2
(B) Only 2 and 3
(C) Only 1 and 3
(D) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (B) Only 2 and 3
Explanation:
– Statement 1 is incorrect because this championship was organized in Mumbai (ITC Maratha Sheraton), not in New Delhi.
– Statements 2 and 3 are completely correct.
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10. When is World Photography Day celebrated?
a. 18 August
b. 19 August
c. 20 August
d. 21 August
Answer: b. 19 August
Theme for the year 2026
– Home
– HOME
– About the theme: Viewing home not merely as four walls, but as a feeling, a physical space, a familiar street, or a sense of peace.
– The celebration of World Photography Day began on January 9, 1839, in France.
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11. When is World Mosquito Day observed?
a. 19 August
b. 20 August
c. 21 August
d. 22 August
Answer: b. 20 August
– Its main objective is to make people aware of diseases caused by mosquito bites and their prevention.
– According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the outbreak of dengue-causing viruses is increasing.
– On the occasion of World Mosquito Day (20 August), it said that by 2023, approximately 6 million cases of dengue and more than 7,000 dengue-related deaths had been recorded in more than 80 countries and territories.
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