Times of India Sports Awards 2023 Honors India's Athletic Excellence With A Night Of Triumph

Lucknow, March 2, 2024: The Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) 2023 unfolded in a grand celebration of India's athletic prowess at a glittering ceremony in Lucknow on Friday. The event paid homage to outstanding performances and remarkable achievements across various sports, showcasing the nation's rich sporting tapestry and setting the stage for continued success on the global stage.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday announced that the state's first sports university will be established in Meerut, emphasizing the resurgence of the "culture of sports" in India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Speaking at the Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) in Lucknow, the CM expressed gratitude to the Times Group for selecting UP as the venue for the event and conferring the 'changemaker of the year' award on the state.

Adityanath, the chief guest of the event, felicitated sports achievers across 23 regular sports and 10 para sports categories, acknowledging individual brilliance and team triumphs. "In the last 10 years, the culture of sports has witnessed a significant revival ... PM Modi's initiatives such as Khelo India Khelo and Fit India Movement have ignited a renewed interest in sports," he said, highlighting that sports has become a platform for athletes to showcase their own and the nation's strength and determination.

The CM noted that the state government's investments in sports infrastructure and support for athletes are yielding positive results. "UP, with only 16% of India's population, contributed to 25% of all medals won by the country in the Asian Games."

Reigning world champion in men's javelin throw, Neeraj Chopra, emerged as the night's big winner, securing both the 'Sportsperson of the Year' and 'Athlete of the Year' awards for his exceptional triumphs at the Budapest World Athletics Championships and the Asian Games.

In the para-sports category, Sumit Antil and Sheetal Devi were jointly honored as the 'Para Sportspersons of the Year' for their exceptional feats in javelin throw and para-archery. 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 acclaim.

Legendary track and field athlete PT Usha received the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' for her illustrious career, dominating the track with four gold and seven silver medals at the Asian Games.

The TOISA 2023 ceremony recognized excellence across various sports. Notable awardees include:

Archers Ojas Deotale and Jyothi Surekha

Badminton stalwarts Chirag Shetty, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, HS Prannoy, PV Sindhu

Cricketing prowess of Mohammed Shami and Deepti Sharma

Chess prodigies R Praggnanandhaa and R Vaishali

The Indian Men's 4x400m relay team

Para-sports received significant attention with ten award categories, including recognition for shooters Avani Lekhara and Rudransh Khandelwal, and Bhavinaben Patel named '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 underscored the depth of talent and the spirit of excellence that permeates Indian sports, setting the stage for continued success and achievements on the global stage.

Some of the prominent award winners:

SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR: Neeraj Chopra

PARA SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR: Sumit Antil & Sheetal Devi

TEAM OF THE YEAR: Indian Men's 4x400m relay team (Amoj Jacob, Mijo Chacko, Mohd. Anas, Mohd. Ajmal, Nihal Joel, Rajesh Ramesh)

COACH OF THE YEAR: Deepali Deshpande

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: PT Usha

User :- Yogesh Kaushik

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