The eighth edition of The Times of India Sports Awards will be held on 21 March 2026 in Lucknow, celebrating the achievements of India’s best sportspersons in various disciplines during the 2025 sports season. The awards recognize performances across more than 45 categories between January 1 and December 31, 2025, honoring both stars and emerging talent who have excelled at global and continental events. The winners will be judged by an eminent jury comprising Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra, hockey great PR Sreejesh, former Indian captain Mithali Raj, Paralympic legend Devendra Jhajharia, table tennis icon Sharath Kamal and tennis great Lander Pace, ensuring a credible assessment of Indian sports.A number of standout performers feature among the athletics nominees after impressive international seasons. Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra Led the men’s field after breaking the 90m mark with a national record throw of 90.23m at the Doha Diamond League. Long-distance runner Gulvir Singh enjoyed a sensational year at the Asian Athletics Championships with double golds in the 5000m and 10,000m, while sprinter Animesh Kajjar set a national 100m record. Parul Choudhary in the women’s category Jyothi Yaraji, Pooja Singh And Rupal Chaudhary impressed with medal-winning performances and record-breaking displays during the 2025 season.Here are the nominees for athletics. TOISA 2025:Athletics (Track and Field) – MenNeeraj ChopraDate of Birth: 24 December 1997Place of Birth: Khandra, HaryanaSports: Athletics (javelin)Key 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 stellar career despite suffering a rare setback at the 2025 World Athletics Championships, where he finished eighth. The javelin star, however, extended his streak of top-two finishes at the Diamond League Finals with a second-place finish in Zurich. He also triumphed at the Diamond League meet in Paris and achieved a major milestone at the Doha Diamond League, breaking the 90m mark for the first time with a national record throw of 90.23m. Although he finished second behind Julian Weber (91.06m), the performance marked a historic breakthrough. Neeraj added two gold-level titles to his season by winning the Golden Spike in Ostrava and triumphed in India’s first gold-level meet named in his honour, the Neeraj Chopra Classic, to cap off another stellar year. Animesh DatesDate of Birth: 2 June 2003Place of Birth: Jashpur, ChhattisgarhSports: Athletics (100m, 200m)Key achievements in 2025:Gumi Asian Championships: Bronze (200m – 20.32s NR)World University Games: Bronze (4x100m)In 2025, Animesh Kajjar 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 Dromea International Sprint and Relay meet, eclipsing Gurwinder Vir Singh’s previous mark of 10.20 seconds. Kajur also impressed in the 200m, bettering his national record of 20.40s set at the Federation Cup earlier in the season by running 20.32s in the final of the Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea. He won a creditable bronze medal at the continental championships.Gulveer SinghDate of Birth: 1st June 1998Place of Birth: Uttaravali, Uttar PradeshSports: Athletics (3000m, 5000m, 10,000m)Key achievements in 2025:Gomi Asian Championships: Gold (5000m – 13:24.77 CR), Gold (10,000m)Gulvir Singh enjoyed a sensational 2025 season, rewriting national records in several 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.Gulver set a new national record in the 3000m at the Gyulai István Memorial, clocking an impressive 7:34.49 and bettering his previous mark of 7:38.26 set earlier in the year at the David Hemmery Valentine Invitational. In the 5000m, he became the first Indian to break the 13-minute barrier by 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-setting streak in the 10,000 meters, setting another national standard at The TEN in 27:00.22.Sachin YadavDate of Birth: 25 October 1999Place of Birth: Khekra, Uttar PradeshSports: Athletics (javelin throw)Key achievements in 2025:Tokyo World Championships: 4th (86.27m – PB)Gomi Asian Championships: Silver (85.16m)In 2025, Sachin Yadav enjoyed a successful season marked by personal bests and strong finishes on the international stage. He started the year by winning the gold medal at the National Games, setting a personal best and a record throw of 84.39m. Yadav then impressed at the Asian Athletics Championships, where he clinched silver with another personal best of 85.16m, just 1.24m behind Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem. He also competed in the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic, finishing just short of 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 an effort of 83.67m in the qualification round and produced a personal best throw of 86.27m in the final, ultimately finishing fourth and missing out on a medal.Athletics (Track and Field) – FemaleParul ChaudharyDate of Birth: 15 April 1995Place of Birth: Akulta, Uttar PradeshSports: Athletics (3000m Steeplechase, 5000m)Key achievements in 2025:Doha Diamond League – 6th – 9:13.39 NRGomi Asian Championships: Silver (3000m Steeplechase – 9:12.46 NR), Silver (5000m)In 2025, Parul Chaudhary had an outstanding season, rewriting the national record in the women’s 3000m steeplechase more than once at 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, finishing a creditable sixth in 9:13.39 against a world-class field. Just weeks later, at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea, Parul bettered her own record with a stunning 9:12.46 to win the silver medal. He capped off an extraordinary continental campaign by adding another silver in the 5000m event, highlighting his versatility and endurance and making 2025 one of the best seasons of his career.Rupal ChaudhryDate of Birth: 23 December 2004Place of Birth: Shahpur Jainpur, Uttar PradeshSports: Athletics (400 meters)Key achievements in 2025:Gomi Asian Championships: Silver (400m), Gold (4x400m), Gold (4x400m Mixed)In 2025, young Rupal Chaudhary enjoyed a stellar year, headlined by a stellar performance at the Asian Athletics Championships. The 21-year-old returned home with three medals from the continental meet, including two golds – instrumental in India’s victories in the women’s 4x400m relay and 4x400m relay mixed. Individually, he also impressed by winning a silver medal in the 400m event. Rupal further demonstrated her growing stature on the world stage by representing India at the World Athletics Relays, where she participated in the mixed 4x400m relay.Jyothi YarajiDate of Birth: 28 August 1999Place of Birth: Visakhapatnam, Andhra PradeshSports: Athletics (100m Hurdles)Key achievements in 2025:Gumi Asian Championships: Gold (100m Hurdles – 12.96s CR)In 2025, Jyothi Yaraji once again stamped her authority on the Asian sprint hurdles with a title defense at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea. The national record holder won gold in the women’s 100m hurdles with a time of 12.96 seconds, setting a new event record and successfully defending the crown she first won in Bangkok in 2023 (13.09 seconds). He added to his medal run by winning gold at the Taiwan Athletics Open in Taipei, adding to India’s strong showing at the meet. However, her season was cut short when she suffered a knee injury in training and underwent ACL surgery, ruling her out of the 2025 World Championships and the rest of the year.Pooja SinghDate of Birth: 21 February 2007Place of Birth: Bosti, HaryanaSports: Athletics (High Jump)Key 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 young high jumper won gold at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea, becoming the continental champion with a season’s best clearance of 1.89m. His winning jump not only clinched a stunning victory, but also improved his under-20 national record. With the victory, she achieved a rare feat in Indian athletics – becoming the first Indian woman since Bobbi 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 achievement a historic moment and signaling the rise of a promising new star in Indian high jump.
