The Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) returns for its eighth edition, celebrating the achievements and inspiring journeys of India’s finest athletes. The TOISA 2025 event will be held on March 21, 2026 in Lucknow, bringing together top sporting icons and rising stars of the country.This edition will honor performances in more than 45 categories during the evaluation period from January 1 to December 31, 2025. It was a remarkable year for Indian sports, with impressive performances at global and continental events.The para sports scene in India has improved in recent years, with the country producing champions at major global showcase events such as the Paralympics and the Para World Championships.TOISA 2025 will honor India’s para-athletes in more than 10 award categories, including coaches.True to India’s success in para sports, Uttar Pradesh has produced outstanding para athletes over the years. Given their strong performance in 2025, four para-athletes and two para-coaches from the state have been nominated for TOISA 2025 in various categories.Para-sprinter Prithi Paul led Uttar Pradesh’s impressive year in para-sports, earning nominations in both the Para-Athlete of the Year (Track and Field) and Para-Sports Person of the Year categories for her two medals at the World Para-Athletics Championships.Other UP nominees for TOISA 2025 include Vivek Chikara (Archery), Vibhav Gautam (Chess), Parveen Kumar (Athletics), Gaurav Khanna (Para Badminton – Coach) and Dr. Satyapal Singh (Para Athletics – Coach).Profiles of Uttar Pradesh players in TOISA 2025 nominations:Para Archer of the YearVivek ChikaraDate of Birth: 12 January 1990Place of Birth: Meerut, Uttar PradeshSport: Para Archery.Key achievements in 2025:• Asian Para Archery Championship 2025 – Recurve Men’s Open Doubles Silver (with Harvinder Singh)Vivek Chakara won silver with Harvinder Singh in recurve men’s open doubles at the 2025 Asian Para Archery Championships in Beijing, losing to the Chinese pair in a shoot-off. It was part of India’s strong overall medal tally in the continental event.Para-athlete of the yearPrithi Paul (Sprinter)Date of Birth: 22 September 2000Place of Birth: Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaSports: Para Athletics (100m and 200m Sprint – T35 Classification)Key achievements in 2025:World Para Athletics Championships (New Delhi): Silver (100m T35) and Bronze (200m T35)Set a new national record in 100m T35 category – 14.21 seconds at the 23rd National Para Athletics Championship 2025.Finished the 2025 season as world No. 2 in the T35 100m category.In 2025, Prithipal enjoyed a historic season, cementing her status as one of India’s leading para-sprinters. Serving as India’s flag bearer at the World Para Athletics Championships, he won a silver in the 100m T35 and a bronze in the 200m T35 on home soil. Earlier in the year, he was honored with the Arjuna Award. He also set a new national record in the 100m T35 and finished the season ranked world No. 2 in the category.Parveen Kumar (High Jump)Date of Birth: 15 May 2003Place of Birth: Jewar (Govindgarh), Uttar Pradesh, IndiaSports: Para Athletics (High Jump)Key achievements in 2025:World Para Athletics Championships (New Delhi): Bronze (High Jump T64 event)National Para Athletics Championship: GoldIn 2025, Parveen Kumar strengthened his stature with remarkable achievements. He was awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in January in recognition of his success at the Paralympics. Later, he won a bronze medal in high jump T64 at the World Para Athletics Championships and claimed gold at the National Para Athletics Championships.Para Chess Player of the YearVaibhav GautamaDate of Birth: 1st November 2002Place of Birth: Uttar Pradesh, IndiaGames: Para ChessKey achievements in 2025:World Championship: SilverVaibhav Gautham achieved a major milestone by winning the silver medal in the men’s wheelchair category at the 24th IPCA Individual Chess Championship in Goa in 2025. His podium finish marked a breakthrough year and placed him among the top competitors globally in his category.Para Sports Person of the YearPrithi Paul (Sprinter)Date of Birth: 22 September 2000Place of Birth: Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaSports: Para Athletics (100m and 200m Sprint – T35 classification)Key achievements in 2025:World Para Athletics Championships (New Delhi): Silver (100m T35) and Bronze (200m T35)Set a new national record in 100m T35 category – 14.21 seconds at the 23rd National Para Athletics Championship 2025.Finished the 2025 season as world No. 2 in the T35 100m category.In 2025, Prithipal enjoyed a historic season, cementing her status as one of India’s leading para-sprinters. Serving as India’s flag bearer at the World Para Athletics Championships, he won a silver in the 100m T35 and a bronze in the 200m T35 on home soil. Earlier in the year, he was honored with the Arjuna Award. He also set a new national record in the 100m T35 and finished the season ranked world No. 2 in the category.Para Coach of the YearGaurav Khanna (Para-Badminton)Date of Birth: 11 December 1975Place of Birth: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaSports: Para Badminton (Head National Coach)Major Achievements in 2025Under his leadership, the Indian Para-Badminton team crossed 1000 international medals. He led the team to 23 medals at the Bahrain Para Badminton International 2025 and oversaw strong performances at the Thailand and Dubai events. He also launched a grassroots coaching program and helped strengthen the domestic talent pipeline.Dr. Satyapal Singh (Para Athletics)Date of Birth: 1st January 1978Place of Birth: Village Machli, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaSports: Para Athletics (Drunacharya and Padma Shri award winning coach)Major Achievements in 2025Dr. Satyapal Singh continued his influential role in Indian Para-athletics. His trainee Parveen Kumar was awarded the Khel Ratna Award. He played a key role in India’s success at the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi and continued as chief coach of the Paralympic Committee of India, overseeing a strong medal haul at international events.
