Neeraj Chopra and Parul Chaudhary were crowned the Best Male and Best Female Athletes of the Year 2025, respectively, at the inaugural Indian Athletics Awards held in New Delhi on the evening of 21 June. The glittering ceremony, instituted by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), also named Shahnawaz Khan and Pooja as the Best Emerging Athletes — male and female — marking the first time Indian athletics has had a dedicated national awards night of this scale.

Key Developments

Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya presented the awards at the ceremony, which drew a distinguished gathering including World Athletics Vice President Adille J. Sumariwalla, Korottage Bimal Prasanna, President of Sri Lanka Athletics, and Mohamed Tholal, Sports Commissioner of the Maldives. The event celebrated outstanding performers from the 2025 season as well as stalwarts from earlier eras of Indian athletics.

Neeraj Chopra and Parul Chaudhary each received a cash prize of ₹10 lakh, while Shahnawaz Khan and Pooja were awarded ₹2.50 lakh each. Lifetime Achievement Award recipients received ₹5 lakh each.

Lifetime Achievement Honours

Four legends of Indian athletics were decorated with Lifetime Achievement Awards: Gurbachan Singh Randhawa, Bahadur Singh Chauhan, P T Usha, and Anju Bobby George — all recognised for their extraordinary contributions to the sport across several decades. The awards ceremony also brought together iconic names from Indian athletics history, including Sriram Singh, Charles Borromeo, Chand Ram, and Kamaljit Sandhu.

What the Winners Said

Chopra described the honour as deeply meaningful. 'Indian athletics is progressing rapidly, and every year we are seeing new talent emerge and perform on the global stage. This award motivates me to strive for excellence and contribute to the sport,' he said.

Chaudhary called the recognition significant. 'Athletics is a sport that demands patience, discipline, and perseverance every single day. I hope my journey encourages more young girls to take up athletics and pursue their dreams,' she said.

P T Usha, accepting her Lifetime Achievement Award, said she felt 'deeply humbled' and noted the 'tremendous evolution of Indian Athletics' she had witnessed over her career. Anju Bobby George added: 'I believe our athletes can compete with the world's best.'

What the AFI and Government Said

Dr. Mandaviya said Indian athletics has witnessed 'unprecedented growth over the last decade' and described the awards as 'a fitting tribute to the individuals and institutions driving this progress.' AFI President Bahadur Singh Sagoo underlined that the awards recognise every stakeholder — 'from athletes and coaches to technical officials' — as vital to the sport's journey.

AFI also presented awards in categories including Best Coach of the Year, Best State Association of the Year, Best Technical Official of the Year, Best State Supporting Athletics, Organisation Supporting Athletics, and Partner Supporting Athletics.

Why This Ceremony Matters

The inaugural Indian Athletics Awards arrive at a moment when the sport has arguably never had higher visibility in India, driven in large part by Chopra's Olympic gold in Tokyo and subsequent global performances. Institutionalising recognition across athlete, coach, and administrative categories signals AFI's intent to build a more structured sporting ecosystem — one that acknowledges the pipeline of talent, not just its most celebrated names. Whether the awards gain the prestige of their counterparts in cricket or football will depend on consistency and credibility in future editions.