India's largest people’s choice sports awards held its 3rd session

The Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA), India’s largest popular choice sports awards in the country since 2014, recently held its third season. Keeping in line with its aim of promoting sports through appreciation and engagement, the 3rd edition of TOISA attracted the presence of distinguished personalities encompassing the fields of sports, business and media. Tennis legend, former world no. 1 and coach for Roger Federer, Stefan Edberg, graced the event as the mentor.

World’s third seeded badminton player and the only Indian to win four Super Series titles, Kidambi Srikanth was named the Sportsperson of the Year, while the iconic and acclaimed Pullela Gopichand was named the Mentor of the Year. As a scintillating testament to their capabilities, the Indian women’s cricket team’s fantastic performance saw them become the runners-up at the latest edition of the ICC World Cup. In a land where the two genders are often differentiated and face impertinent bias, the team’s dedicated efforts saw them win the TOISA Inspiration of the Year award. Other awardees include- Vijender Singh, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Anish Bhanwala, Gaurav Bidhuri and others.

The TOISA’s aim of promoting equality of representation in sports is made apparent by the structure of the awards wherein top performers across diverse sports categories are awarded. The adjudication also segmented in a two-tiered echelon- one being jury centric and the other being solely based on a 30-day period voting. 

The TOISA also awards noticeable institutions or personalities who contribute to the world of sports. While Neeta Ambani was named the corporate supporter of the year, Abhishek Bachchan was named the best Promoter of Sports Franchisee of the Year.

The valedictory night and prize distribution ceremony witnessed celestial performances from artists and talents across the entertainment sector. The night also witnessed the presence of celebrities like- Gautam Gambhir, Neeta Ambani, Anu Malik, Meet bros and others.