The 30-year-old trap shooter earned the coveted award that carries a prize money of 500,000 rupees (12,500 dollars) on the recommendations of a high-powered committee headed by cricketing legend Kapil Dev.

Other players in contention for the award, known as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, included ace golfer Jeev Milkha Singh and tennis doubles player Mahesh Bhupathi.

Sandhu won the gold medal at the 2006 world championships in Zagreb, a bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and two silvers at the Doha Asian Games.

Sandhu is the fourth shooter to win the award after Abhinav Bindra, Anjali Bhagwat and Rajyavardhan Rathore.

Other past winners include cricket superstar Sachin Tendulkar, tennis ace Leander Paes and chess player Viswanathan Anand.

There was no cricketer on the 14-strong list for the Arjuna award, the second highest sporting honours, for the third successive year.

Indian President Pratibha Patil will present the awards on August 29.