The eighth edition of the Times of India Sports Awards will be held on March 21, 2026, in Lucknow, celebrating the achievements of India’s finest athletes across disciplines during the 2025 sporting season. The awards recognise performances delivered between January 1 and December 31, 2025, across more than 45 categories, honouring both established stars and emerging talents who excelled at global and continental events. Winners will be decided by an eminent jury that includes Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra, hockey great PR Sreejesh, former India captain Mithali Raj, Paralympic legend Devendra Jhajharia, table tennis icon Sharath Kamal and tennis great Leander Paes, ensuring a credible evaluation of excellence in Indian sport.Several standout performers feature among the athletics nominees after impressive international seasons. Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra led the men’s field after breaching the 90m mark with a national record throw of 90.23m at the Doha Diamond League. Long-distance runner Gulveer Singh enjoyed a sensational year with double gold in the 5000m and 10,000m at the Asian Athletics Championships, while sprinter Animesh Kujur set a national 100m record. In the women’s category, Parul Chaudhary, Jyothi Yarraji, Pooja Singh and Rupal Chaudhary impressed with medal-winning performances and record-breaking displays during the 2025 season.Here are the athletics nominees for TOISA 2025:ATHLETICS (TRACK AND FIELD) – MALENeeraj ChopraDate of Birth: December 24, 1997Place of Birth: Khandra, HaryanaSport: Athletics (Javelin)Major Achievements in 2025:Zurich Diamond League Final: 2ndDoha Diamond League: 2nd (90.23m NR)Meeting de Paris: 1stGolden Spike Ostrava: GoldNeeraj Chopra Classic: GoldOne of India’s most decorated athletes, Neeraj Chopra, continued his remarkable career in 2025 despite enduring a rare setback at the World Athletics Championships, where he finished eighth. The javelin star though extended his streak of top-two finishes at the Diamond League Finals with a second-place finish in Zurich. He also clinched victory at the Diamond League meet in Paris and achieved a major milestone in Doha Diamond League, breaching the 90m mark for the first time with a national record throw of 90.23m. Though he finished second to Julian Weber (91.06m), the performance marked a historic breakthrough. Neeraj further added two gold-level titles to his season, winning at the Golden Spike Ostrava and triumphing at India’s first gold-level meet named in his honour, the Neeraj Chopra Classic, rounding off another impressive year. Animesh KujurDate of Birth: June 2, 2003Place of Birth: Jashpur, ChhattisgarhSport: Athletics (100m, 200m)Major Achievements in 2025:Gumi Asian Championships: Bronze (200m – 20.32s NR)World University Games: Bronze (4x100m)In 2025, Animesh Kujur made history by becoming the first Indian sprinter to qualify for the World Athletics Championships. He set a new national record in the 100m, clocking 10.18 seconds at the Dromia International Sprint and Relays Meeting, surpassing the previous mark of 10.20 seconds held by Gurindervir Singh. Kujur also impressed in the 200m, running 20.32 seconds in the final at the Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea to better his own national record of 20.40 seconds set at the Federation Cup earlier in the season. He won a creditable bronze medal at the continental championships.Gulveer SinghDate of Birth: June 1, 1998Place of Birth: Atrauli, Uttar PradeshSport: Athletics (3000m, 5000m, 10,000m)Major Achievements in 2025:Gumi Asian Championships: Gold (5000m – 13:24.77 CR), Gold (10,000m)Gulveer Singh enjoyed a sensational 2025 season, rewriting national records across multiple long-distance events — 3000m, 5000m and 10,000m. He emerged as a dominant force on the continental stage, winning gold in both the 5000m and 10,000m at the Asian Athletics Championships to become the reigning Asian champion.Gulveer set a new national record in the 3000m at the Gyulai István Memorial, clocking an impressive 7:34.49 and bettering his own previous mark of 7:38.26 set earlier in the year at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational. In the 5000m, he became the first Indian to break the 13-minute barrier, registering 12:59.77 at the Boston University Terrier DMR Challenge — a performance that also stands as the Asian 5000m short track record. He continued his record-breaking spree in the 10,000m, clocking 27:00.22 at the The TEN to set another national benchmark.Sachin YadavDate of Birth: October 25, 1999Place of Birth: Khekada, Uttar PradeshSport: Athletics (Javelin Throw)Major Achievements in 2025:Tokyo World Championships: 4th (86.27m – PB)Gumi Asian Championships: Silver (85.16m)In 2025, Sachin Yadav enjoyed a breakthrough season marked by personal bests and strong finishes on the international stage. He began the year by clinching gold at the National Games, producing a personal best and meet record throw of 84.39m. Yadav then impressed at the Asian Athletics Championships, where he secured a silver medal with another personal best of 85.16m, finishing just 1.24m behind Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem. He also competed at the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic, narrowly missing the podium with a fourth-place finish after a best throw of 82.33m. At the World Athletics Championships, Yadav qualified for the final with a 83.67m effort in the qualification round and delivered a personal best throw of 86.27m in the final, ultimately finishing fourth and narrowly missing out on a medal.ATHLETICS (TRACK AND FIELD) – FEMALEParul ChaudharyDate of Birth: April 15, 1995Place of Birth: Iklauta, Uttar PradeshSport: Athletics (3000m steeplechase, 5000m)Major Achievements in 2025:Doha Diamond League – 6th – 9:13.39 NRGumi Asian Championships: Silver (3000m steeplechase – 9:12.46 NR), Silver (5000m)In 2025, Parul Chaudhary delivered a remarkable season, rewriting the national record in the women’s 3000m steeplechase more than once on some of the sport’s biggest stages. Competing in one of athletics’ most demanding disciplines, she first broke the national mark at the Diamond League Doha, clocking 9:13.39 to finish a creditable sixth against a world-class field. Just weeks later, at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea, Parul bettered her own record with a superb 9:12.46 effort to clinch the silver medal. She capped off an exceptional continental campaign by adding another silver in the 5000m event, underlining her versatility and endurance and making 2025 one of the finest seasons of her career.Rupal ChaudharyDate of Birth: December 23, 2004Place of Birth: Shahpur Jainpur, Uttar PradeshSport: Athletics (400m)Major Achievements in 2025:Gumi Asian Championships: Silver (400m), Gold (4x400m), Gold (4x400m mixed)In 2025, young Rupal Chaudhary enjoyed a breakthrough year, headlined by a stellar showing at the Asian Athletics Championships. The 21-year-old returned home with three medals from the continental meet, including two golds — playing a pivotal role in India’s triumphs in the women’s 4x400m relay and the mixed 4x400m relay. Individually, she also impressed by clinching a silver medal in the 400m event. Rupal further showcased her growing stature on the global stage by representing India at the World Athletics Relays, where she competed in the mixed 4x400m relay.Jyothi YarrajiDate of Birth: August 28, 1999Place of Birth: Visakhapatnam, Andhra PradeshSport: Athletics (100m hurdles)Major Achievements in 2025:Gumi Asian Championships: Gold (100m hurdles – 12.96s CR)In 2025, Jyothi Yarraji once again stamped her authority over Asian sprint hurdles with a commanding title defence at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea. The national record holder clinched gold in the women’s 100m hurdles with a time of 12.96 seconds, setting a new competition record and successfully defending the crown she had first won in Bangkok in 2023 (13.09s). She added to her medal haul by winning gold at the Taiwan Athletics Open in Taipei, contributing to India’s strong showing at the meet. However, her season was cut short when she suffered a knee injury during training and underwent ACL surgery, ruling her out of the 2025 World Championships and the remainder of the year.Pooja SinghDate of Birth: February 21, 2007Place of Birth: Bosti, HaryanaSport: Athletics (High Jump)Major Achievements in 2025:Gumi Asian Championships: Gold (1.89m PB, NU20R)In 2025, Pooja Singh announced her arrival on the senior stage with a sensational breakthrough season. The teenage high jumper clinched gold at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea, becoming the continental champion with a season-best clearance of 1.89m. Her winning leap not only secured a stunning victory but also saw her better her own Under-20 national record. With the triumph, she achieved a rare feat in Indian athletics — becoming the first Indian woman since Bobby Aloysius to win a high jump medal at the Asian Championships. Aloysius had previously won gold in 2000 and silver in 2002, making Pooja’s 2025 success a landmark moment and signaling the rise of a promising new star in Indian high jump.
