Neeraj Chopra, Mohammed Shami, and Sheetal Devi top the TOISA 2023 winners’ list
Lucknow witnessed a splendid ceremony on Friday, where the Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) 2023 honored the exceptional performances and accomplishments of Indian athletes across diverse fields. From historic triumphs to emerging talents, the event showcased the nation’s rich sporting heritage.
Neeraj Chopra, the reigning champion in men’s javelin throw, emerged as the standout figure of the evening, securing both the coveted ‘Sportsperson of the Year’ and ‘Athlete of the Year’ awards for his remarkable victories at the Budapest World Athletics Championships and the Asian Games.
In the para-sports domain, Sumit Antil and Sheetal Devi were jointly acclaimed as the ‘Para Sportspersons of the Year’ for their outstanding achievements in javelin throw and para-archery respectively. Their remarkable feats, including Antil’s historic gold at the Para World Athletics Championships and Devi’s groundbreaking performances at the Para World Archery Championships and Asian Games, earned them widespread recognition.
The esteemed track and field athlete PT Usha was honored with the prestigious ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ in acknowledgment of her illustrious career, characterized by four gold and seven silver medals at the Asian Games.
Archers Ojas Deotale and Jyothi Surekha were crowned ‘Archers of the Year’ in the male and female categories respectively, while Rakesh Kumar and Sheetal Devi received accolades as the ‘Para Archers of the Year.’
The badminton fraternity, including Chirag Shetty, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, HS Prannoy, and PV Sindhu, among others, was lauded for their outstanding contributions to the sport. Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy were named ‘Doubles Players of the Year,’ while HS Prannoy clinched the ‘Singles Player of the Year’ title. In the women’s category, Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly were recognized as ‘Doubles Players of the Year,’ with PV Sindhu bagging the ‘Singles Player of the Year’ award.
The cricketing domain also witnessed acknowledgment, with Mohammed Shami and Deepti Sharma securing the titles of ‘Cricketers of the Year’ in their respective categories.
In the realm of chess, siblings R Praggnanandhaa and R Vaishali etched their names in history by winning the ‘Chess Players of the Year’ awards in their respective categories.
The Indian men’s 4x400m relay team, which shattered the Asian record at the World Athletics Championships and claimed gold at the Asian Games, was rightfully hailed as the ‘Team of the Year.’
Para-sports garnered significant attention, with ten award categories, honoring talents such as shooters Avani Lekhara and Rudransh Khandelwal, while Bhavinaben Patel was celebrated as the ‘Para-Table Tennis Player of the Year.’
The event also celebrated emerging talents, with archer Aditi Gopichand Swami and shooter Esha Singh sharing the ‘Emerging Sportsperson of the Year’ award.
The TOISA 2023 ceremony highlighted the depth of talent and the pursuit of excellence that defines Indian sports, setting the stage for continued success and achievements on the global platform.
