The eighth edition of the Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) will be held on March 21, 2026, in Lucknow, celebrating the inspiring journeys and achievements of India’s finest athletes across multiple disciplines. TOISA 2025 will recognise performances delivered between January 1 and December 31, 2025, highlighting standout displays at global championships and major international competitions. Featuring more than 45 award categories, the event honours both established stars and emerging talents who made the nation proud through exceptional performances.The winners will be selected by a distinguished jury comprising some of India’s most respected sporting icons, including Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra, hockey legend PR Sreejesh, batting great Mithali Raj, Paralympic champion Devendra Jhajharia, table tennis stalwart Sharath Kamal and tennis legend Leander Paes. Their collective expertise ensures a credible and balanced evaluation of excellence across Indian sport.The TOISA 2025 Weightlifting Player of the Year nominees celebrate India’s strength and consistency on the global stage. Rishikanta Singh shone in the men’s 60 kg category with gold at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships and silver at the national meet, earning a spot at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Muthupandi Raja made a remarkable comeback, winning silver at the Commonwealth Championships and achieving a personal best of 299 kg at the World Championships. Dilbag Singh impressed with a silver in the men’s 94 kg at the Commonwealth meet, while Lovepreet Singh secured bronze in the +110 kg category, showcasing India’s depth in the heavier divisions. Among women, Mirabai Chanu reclaimed her dominance with gold at the Commonwealth Championships and silver at the World Championships in the 48 kg class. Mehak Sharma, Bindyarani Devi, and Harjinder Kaur also delivered standout performances, combining national records, podium finishes, and international consistency, highlighting India’s elite women lifters in 2025.Rishikanta SinghDate of Birth: July 5, 1998Place of Birth: ManipurMajor Achievements in 2025:Gold – Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships (men’s 60 kg)Silver – IWLF National Weightlifting Championships (men’s 60 kg)Rishikanta Singh Chanambam is a rising star in Indian weightlifting, known for his strength, technique, and competitive consistency in the men’s 60 kg category. In 2025, he delivered multiple standout performances across national and international competitions.The highlight of his year came at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2025 in Ahmedabad, where Rishikanta won gold in the men’s 60 kg class with a total lift of 271 kg — a result that also earned him qualification for the 2026 Commonwealth Games. His Commonwealth success underscored his ability to perform under pressure and marked his arrival among Asia’s emerging lifters.At the IWLF National Weightlifting Championships 2025-26, he claimed silver in the senior 60 kg category with a 266 kg total, showcasing his consistency against India’s best. Rishikanta also represented India at the 2025 World Weightlifting Championships, finishing 11th among the world’s elite competitors.Muthupandi RajaDate of Birth: January 12, 2000Place of Birth: Kovilpatti, Tamil NaduMajor Achievements in 2025:Silver – Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships (Men’s 65 kg)Personal best total lift (299 kg) – World Weightlifting ChampionshipsMuthupandi Raja is an Indian weightlifter who made a remarkable return to the international stage in 2025 after overcoming multiple injuries and surgeries that had sidelined him for years.At the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2025 held in Ahmedabad, Raja delivered a strong performance in the men’s 65 kg category, securing a silver medal with a combined total of 296 kg. This podium finish was especially significant as it marked his first major international medal in several years and put him firmly back in competitive contention. Later in the year at the World Weightlifting Championships 2025 in Forde, Norway, he achieved a personal best total of 299 kg, finishing ninth among the world’s elite lifters, an impressive feat given his recent comeback.Dilbag SinghDate of Birth: October 13, 2004Place of Birth: PunjabMajor Achievements in 2025Silver – Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships (Men’s 94 kg)Dilbag Singh is a promising Indian weightlifter competing in the senior men’s middle-heavyweight category. In 2025, he delivered some of his most notable performances on both the national and international stage.At the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2025 in Ahmedabad, Singh narrowly missed gold in the men’s 94 kg class, registering a total lift of 342 kg and earning the silver medal, finishing just one kilogram behind the event champion. This podium finish was a significant highlight of his season, demonstrating his strength and competitive spirit among the Commonwealth’s best lifters.Singh also represented India at the Asian Weightlifting Championships 2025 in Jiangshan, China, where he finished ninth in the men’s 96 kg category with a total lift of 339 kg, gaining valuable experience against Asia’s elite.Lovepreet SinghDate of Birth: September 6, 1997Place of Birth: Amritsar, PunjabMajor Achievements in 2025Bronze: Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships (Men’s +110 kg)Lovepreet Singh is a senior Indian weightlifter who competes in the higher weight categories and represents the Indian Navy in domestic and international events. In 2025, Singh delivered memorable performances that reinforced his stature in the sport. At the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2025 in Ahmedabad, he captured a bronze medal in the men’s +110 kg class, lifting a total of 380 kg (175 kg in snatch and 205 kg in clean and jerk) against a competitive field, helping India conclude the meet with a strong team medal haul.At the World Weightlifting Championships 2025, Singh competed in the highly contested men’s 110 kg+ division and finished eighth overall with a total lift of 369 kg, gaining valuable experience against the world’s best lifters.Mirabai ChanuDate of Birth: August 8, 1994Place of Birth: Nongpok Kakching, Imphal East, ManipurMajor Achievements in 2025Gold: Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships (Women’s 48 kg)Silver: World Weightlifting Championships (Women’s 48 kg)Mirabai Chanu is India’s most celebrated weightlifter and an Olympic silver medallist, renowned for her technical excellence and competitive grit. In 2025, Chanu staged a remarkable comeback after injury setbacks and a fourth-place finish at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She returned to the international stage at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2025 in Ahmedabad, where she clinched gold in the women’s 48 kg category with a total of 193 kg — dominating the competition and setting multiple Commonwealth Championship records in snatch and clean & jerk.Chanu continued her strong form at the World Weightlifting Championships 2025 in Førde, Norway, earning a silver medal with a total lift of 199 kg in the 48 kg division. This podium finish marked her first World Championships medal in three years and reinforced her status as one of the world’s top weightlifters.Mehak SharmaDate of Birth: April 1, 1995Place of Birth: PunjabMajor Achievements in 2025Silver: Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships (Women’s +86 kg)Gold: 38th National Games, Dehradun and three national recordsMehak Sharma is an accomplished Indian weightlifter who made significant strides in international and national competitions in 2025. She emerged as one of India’s standout female lifters in the heavyweight category, showcasing a blend of strength, technique, and competitive spirit.At the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2025 in Ahmedabad, Mehak clinched the silver medal in the women’s +86 kg division, lifting a total of 253 kg — a performance that underlined her international calibre and consistency against top Commonwealth opponents.At the 38th National Games 2025 in Dehradun, she delivered a commanding show by winning gold in the women’s 87+ kg category while setting three new national records in snatch, clean & jerk, and total, affirming her dominance on the domestic stage. Mehak was also listed as a competitor for the World Weightlifting Championships 2025 in the +86 kg group, reflecting her status among India’s elite lifters.Bindyarani DeviDate of Birth: January 27, 1999Place of Birth: Imphal West, ManipurMajor Achievements in 2025Gold – National Games (Women’s 55 kg)Silver – Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships (Women’s 58 kg)Bindyarani Devi is one of India’s most accomplished female weightlifters, known for her strength, resilience, and record-breaking performances in the 55 kg and 58 kg categories. In 2025, she produced a standout season both at national and international levels. At the 38th National Games 2025 in Dehradun, Bindyarani won gold in the women’s 55 kg event and set a new national snatch record by lifting 88 kg, surpassing the previous mark and solidifying her dominance across all three national records (snatch, clean & jerk, and total) in her class.At the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2025 in Ahmedabad, she moved up to the 58 kg category and secured a silver medal with a combined total of around 206 kg.Harjinder KaurDate of Birth: October 14, 1996Place of Birth: Nabha, PunjabMajor Achievements in 202514th place: World Weightlifting Championships (Women’s 69 kg)Harjinder Kaur is a seasoned Indian weightlifter and Commonwealth Games medallist with a long-standing presence in international weightlifting. In 2025, she continued to compete among the world’s elite, representing India at the World Weightlifting Championships 2025 held in Førde, Norway. There, Harjinder competed in the women’s 69 kg category and finished 14th with a combined lift of 218 kg, showcasing her resilience and commitment against a highly competitive global field.Although she did not reach the podium in this event, her performance at the World Championships highlighted her continued presence on the international stage and her dedication to the sport after earlier successes, including a Commonwealth Games bronze earlier in her career.
