The Times of India Sports Awards returns for its eighth edition – honouring India’s finest athletes across 45+ sports categories on March 21, 2026, in Lucknow
The Times of India Sports Awards returns for its eighth edition – TOISA 2025 – set to take place on March 21, 2026, at The Centrum Hotel, Lucknow. Recognising outstanding athletic performances from January 1 to December 31, 2025, the ceremony will honour India’s finest competitors across more than 45 sports categories – a year that produced some of the most memorable wins and record-breaking moments in recent Indian sporting history.
For over a decade, TOISA has stood apart as the one night in the Indian sporting calendar defined entirely by athletic merit. Recognised by sports professionals, national federations, and the country’s most decorated athletes as a platform of genuine distinction, it has consistently honoured those who have pushed the boundaries of Indian sport – across disciplines, across geographies, and across generations.
This year, TOISA returns to Lucknow – the capital of Uttar Pradesh, a state that has emerged as one of India’s most significant contributors to grassroots sporting talent. From wrestling arenas to athletics tracks, UP has produced athletes of national and international standing with increasing consistency. Hosting TOISA 2025 in Lucknow reflects a broader truth: that India’s sporting excellence runs deep into every region of the country, and deserves to be celebrated there.
Since its inception, TOISA has carried a singular purpose – to ensure that every athlete who reaches the highest levels of their sport is seen, celebrated, and remembered with the seriousness their achievement demands. The awards are evaluated by an independent jury of distinguished sports professionals, coaches, and administrators, assessed on athletic performance, consistency, and the scale of achievement within the evaluation period. That rigour is precisely what has earned TOISA the lasting trust of India’s sporting community.
The jury for TOISA 2025 is among the most distinguished in the platform’s history. It includes Leander Paes (tennis), Mithali Raj (cricket), Abhinav Bindra (shooting), Devendra Jhajharia (para athletics), Sharath Kamal (table tennis), and PR Sreejesh (hockey) – six of India’s most decorated sporting figures, bringing the weight of lived competitive experience to every evaluation they make.
“The Times of India has always believed that every champion deserves to be celebrated – not just those the headlines follow most easily. TOISA was built on that conviction, and eight editions later, it remains the most meaningful thing we do in the sporting space. Bringing this platform to Lucknow this year is a reflection of where Indian sport is growing – and we are proud to be part of that story.”- Puneet Gupt | Chief Operating Officer, The Times of India
Indian badminton had a landmark year in 2025, and TOISA 2025 reflects that. Ten of the country’s top shuttlers have been nominated this edition, including Lakshya Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, and Chirag Shetty – names that have come to represent the growing depth and ambition of Indian badminton on the world stage. The nominations span men’s and women’s singles and doubles, underlining the breadth of the sport’s progress across formats and genders.
“I have spent my life competing for India, and the one thing I know for certain is that champions are made long before the world notices them. TOISA matters because it notices. It looks beyond the obvious and finds the athletes who are quietly rewriting what Indian sport is capable of. Being part of this jury is not just an honour — it is a responsibility I take seriously, because the athletes we recognise here carry that recognition with them for the rest of their careers.” — Leander Paes | Jury Member, TOISA 2025 | Olympic medallist & former World No. 1, Tennis
“Every athlete who pulls on the India jersey does so knowing the sacrifices involved — the years of training, the tournaments away from home, the pressure of representing a billion people. An evening like TOISA reminds us that those sacrifices are seen and valued. It gives the sport, and the people who play it, a dignity that goes beyond trophies. That means more than most people realise.” — Harmanpreet Kaur | Captain, Indian Women’s Cricket Team