Which sportsperson is the only one to have received the Dronacharya Award, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, and Arjuna Award?

Introduction / Context:
India has several major national sports awards that recognise different aspects of a sportsperson contribution. The Arjuna Award honours outstanding performance as a player, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (now renamed in recent years but commonly known by this name in exam material) recognises the highest sporting achievement, and the Dronacharya Award honours excellence in coaching. Only a very select individual has managed to receive all three awards, reflecting excellence both as a player and as a coach. This question asks you to identify that sportsperson.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The awards involved are the Arjuna Award, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, and the Dronacharya Award.
• We are asked to find the sportsperson who has received all three.
• The options are Prakash Padukone, Sanjeev Kumar Singh, Harika Dronavali, and Pullela Gopichand.
• We assume official award lists of the Government of India as the basis.

Concept / Approach:
Pullela Gopichand, a former Indian badminton player and later a highly successful badminton coach, is known as the only sportsperson to have received all three awards: Arjuna as a player, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna for top level achievement, and Dronacharya for outstanding coaching contributions. Prakash Padukone is also a legendary badminton player but is not recognised as a Dronacharya awardee. Harika Dronavali is an accomplished chess player and Arjuna awardee, but she has not received the Dronacharya Award or the Khel Ratna in the combination described. Sanjeev Kumar Singh is not associated with this unique triple recognition. The correct approach is to connect the role of player turned coach with Pullela Gopichand and his well known awards timeline.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: List the three awards: Arjuna Award for performance, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award for highest sporting achievement, and Dronacharya Award for coaching. Step 2: Identify which candidate among the options has been both a top level player and a prominent national coach. Step 3: Recall that Pullela Gopichand won the All England Badminton Championship and later founded the Gopichand Badminton Academy, training Olympic medallists like P. V. Sindhu and Saina Nehwal. Step 4: Recognise that he received the Arjuna Award as a player, the Khel Ratna for his achievements in badminton, and later the Dronacharya Award for his coaching work. Step 5: Conclude that Pullela Gopichand is the only sportsperson to have been honoured with all three awards.

Verification / Alternative check:
Verification can be done by recalling award lists and news reports celebrating Gopichand unique achievement. Articles and exam guides often highlight that he is the only individual so far to receive the triple recognition of Arjuna, Khel Ratna, and Dronacharya, making him an exceptional figure in Indian sports. There are no equivalent reports about Prakash Padukone, Harika Dronavali, or Sanjeev Kumar Singh having this same combination of awards. This unique combination confirms that Gopichand is the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Prakash Padukone: A legendary badminton player and an Arjuna awardee, but he is not known to have received the Dronacharya Award and was not honoured with all three awards together.

Sanjeev Kumar Singh: Not widely recognised in exam oriented sports lists as the holder of all three of these major Indian sports awards.

Harika Dronavali: A strong Indian chess player and award recipient, but she has not received the Dronacharya coaching award and does not match the triple award profile.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates may be tempted to choose Prakash Padukone because of his iconic status in badminton or to select Harika Dronavali due to the similarity between her surname and the name of the Dronacharya Award. Another pitfall is confusion about which award recognises coaching and assuming that a former player automatically received it. To avoid such mistakes, learn the clear fact that Pullela Gopichand as a player coach is uniquely associated with Arjuna, Khel Ratna, and Dronacharya all together.

Final Answer:
The only sportsperson to have received the Dronacharya Award, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, and Arjuna Award is Pullela Gopichand, so Pullela Gopichand is the correct answer.