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 ceremony will be held on March 21, 2026, in Lucknow, bringing together the country’s top sporting icons and emerging stars.This edition’s awards will honour performances across more than 45 categories, covering the evaluation period from January 1 to December 31, 2025. Indian sport enjoyed a remarkable year, highlighted by standout performances at global and continental events.Track and field athletes from Uttar Pradesh have dominated the Athlete of the Year (Track and Field) nominations at TOISA 2025. Of the eight nominees across male and female categories, four are from the state.UP athletes make up half of the nominations in both the men’s and women’s categories.In the men’s category, long-distance runner Gulveer Singh had a stunning 2025, rewriting record books in the 3000m, 5000m and 10,000m events. He won two gold medals at the Asian Championships in Gumi, South Korea, topping the 5000m and 10,000m races. He set national records in both events, with his 5000m mark of 12:59.77 also becoming the Asian record.The other UP athlete nominated is javelin thrower Sachin Yadav, who impressed at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Sachin finished a credible fourth with a personal best throw of 86.72m, ahead of Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, who placed eighth. He also won silver at the Asian Championships in South Korea, finishing behind Pakistan’s Paris Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem.In the women’s category, two of the four nominees are from UP — Parul Chaudhary and Rupal Chaudhary.Parul set the 3000m steeplechase national record twice on the global stage. She first broke it at the Diamond League in Doha, finishing sixth against a world-class field. Weeks later, she bettered her mark again at the Asian Championships in Gumi, where she won silver, and later added another silver in the 5000m event.Rupal also enjoyed a breakthrough 2025 at the continental level. She won three medals, including two gold, at the Asian Championships in South Korea. The 21-year-old claimed silver in the 400m and played a key role in India’s gold-winning performances in the women’s and mixed 4x400m relays.Profiles of Uttar Pradesh athletes nominated in the Athlete (Track and Field) of the Year categories:
Gulveer Singh
Gulveer SinghDate of Birth: June 1, 1998Place of Birth: Atrauli, Uttar PradeshSport: Athletics (3000m, 5000m, 10,000m)Major Achievements in 2025:Gumi Asian Championships: Gold (5000m – 13:24.77 CR), Gold (10,000m)Gulveer Singh enjoyed a sensational 2025 season, rewriting national records across multiple 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.Gulveer set a new national record in the 3000m at the Gyulai István Memorial, clocking an impressive 7:34.49 and bettering his own previous mark of 7:38.26 set earlier in the year at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational. In the 5000m, he became the first Indian to break the 13-minute barrier, 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-breaking spree in the 10,000m, clocking 27:00.22 at the The TEN to set another national benchmark.
Sachin Yadav
Sachin YadavDate of Birth: October 25, 1999Place of Birth: Khekada, Uttar PradeshSport: Athletics (Javelin Throw)Major Achievements in 2025:Tokyo World Championships: 4th (86.27m – PB)Gumi Asian Championships: Silver (85.16m)In 2025, Sachin Yadav enjoyed a breakthrough season marked by personal bests and strong finishes on the international stage. He began the year by clinching gold at the National Games, producing a personal best and meet record throw of 84.39m. Yadav then impressed at the Asian Athletics Championships, where he secured a silver medal with another personal best of 85.16m, finishing just 1.24m behind Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem. He also competed at the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic, narrowly missing 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 a 83.67m effort in the qualification round and delivered a personal best throw of 86.27m in the final, ultimately finishing fourth and narrowly missing out on a medal.
Parul Chaudhary (Getty Images)
Parul ChaudharyDate of Birth: April 15, 1995Place of Birth: Iklauta, Uttar PradeshSport: Athletics (3000m steeplechase, 5000m)Major Achievements in 2025:Doha Diamond League – 6th – 9:13.39 NRGumi Asian Championships: Silver (3000m steeplechase – 9:12.46 NR), Silver (5000m)In 2025, Parul Chaudhary delivered a remarkable season, rewriting the national record in the women’s 3000m steeplechase more than once on 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, clocking 9:13.39 to finish a creditable sixth against a world-class field. Just weeks later, at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea, Parul bettered her own record with a superb 9:12.46 effort to clinch the silver medal. She capped off an exceptional continental campaign by adding another silver in the 5000m event, underlining her versatility and endurance and making 2025 one of the finest seasons of her career.
Rupal ChaudharyDate of Birth: December 23, 2004Place of Birth: Shahpur Jainpur, Uttar PradeshSport: Athletics (400m)Major Achievements in 2025:Gumi Asian Championships: Silver (400m), Gold (4x400m), Gold (4x400m mixed)In 2025, young Rupal Chaudhary enjoyed a breakthrough year, headlined by a stellar showing at the Asian Athletics Championships. The 21-year-old returned home with three medals from the continental meet, including two golds — playing a pivotal role in India’s triumphs in the women’s 4x400m relay and the mixed 4x400m relay. Individually, she also impressed by clinching a silver medal in the 400m event. Rupal further showcased her growing stature on the global stage by representing India at the World Athletics Relays, where she competed in the mixed 4x400m relay.
