The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) hosted its first-ever Indian Athletics Awards in New Delhi, with Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya presenting the honours. Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra and national record holder Parul Chaudhary were crowned the Best Male and Female Athletes of the Year, while four icons of Indian track and field received Lifetime Achievement Awards. The ceremony brought together generations of athletes, coaches, and administrators, marking a new tradition to recognise excellence in Indian athletics.
The Inaugural Indian Athletics Awards
The AFI, founded in 1946 and headquartered in New Delhi, is the apex body governing track and field athletics in India. It is affiliated with World Athletics, the Asian Athletics Association, and the Indian Olympic Association. The federation launched the Indian Athletics Awards to create a formal, annual platform for recognising athletes, coaches, technical officials, mentors, state associations, and other stakeholders who have contributed to the growth of the sport.
The inaugural edition featured 10 award categories, including Best Male and Female Athlete, Best Emerging Athletes, Best Coach, Best Technical Official, Best State Association, and Lifetime Achievement Awards. The ceremony was attended by dignitaries including World Athletics Vice President Adille J. Sumariwalla, Sri Lanka Athletics President Korottage Bimal Prasanna, and Maldives Sports Commissioner Mohamed Tholal.
Best Athletes of the Year 2025
Neeraj Chopra: Best Male Athlete
Neeraj Chopra, India’s javelin throw icon, was named the Best Male Athlete of the Year. The two-time Olympic medallist (gold at Tokyo 2020, silver at Paris 2024) had a standout 2025 season despite battling a back injury. He began the year with a win at the Potch Invitational in South Africa and made history at the Doha Diamond League in May 2025 by breaching the 90-metre mark for the first time with a throw of 90.23 metres, setting a new national record and becoming only the 25th male javelin thrower in history to cross that milestone.
Chopra went on to win the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru, finished second at the Paris Diamond League with 88.16 metres, and secured victories at the Ostrava Golden Spike and the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial. He ended the season with a second-place finish at the Diamond League Final in Zurich. Speaking after receiving the award, Chopra said the honour was close to his heart because it came in the presence of athletes from multiple generations. He had flown in from Doha, where he competed at the Diamond League a day earlier, to attend the ceremony.
Parul Chaudhary: Best Female Athlete
Parul Chaudhary, the national record holder in the 3000 metres steeplechase and 5000 metres, was named the Best Female Athlete of the Year. The 31-year-old from Iklauta, Uttar Pradesh, has emerged as one of India’s finest distance runners. At the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, she won gold in the 5000 metres and silver in the 3000 metres steeplechase, becoming the first Indian woman to win a 5000 metres gold at the Asian Games.
Chaudhary holds national records in the 3000 metres steeplechase (9:12.46), 5000 metres (15:10.35), and 3000 metres (8:57.19). She won gold in the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok and represented India at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In the 2025 season, she narrowly missed breaking her own national record in the steeplechase at the Shanghai Diamond League, clocking 9:12.84.
Emerging Athletes of the Year
The AFI also recognised the next generation of Indian athletics. Shanavaz Khan, a long jumper, was named the Best Emerging Male Athlete, and Pooja Singh, a high jumper, was awarded the Best Emerging Female Athlete. Each received a cash prize of ₹2.5 lakh.
Among the other award winners, Parvir Singh was named Best Coach for his work with throwers, Odisha was recognised as the Best State for supporting athletes, and Tamil Nadu won the Best State Association award. Dr. Kuldeep Singh was honoured as the Best Technical Official, while Reliance Foundation received the Best Sponsor award.
Lifetime Achievement Awards: Four Legends of Indian Athletics
The Lifetime Achievement Awards, carrying a cash prize of ₹5 lakh each, were conferred on four personalities who have shaped Indian athletics across generations.
PT Usha: The Payyoli Express
Pilavullakandi Thekkeparambil Usha, popularly known as PT Usha, is widely regarded as the greatest Indian track and field athlete of all time. Born on 27 June 1964 in Payyoli, Kerala, she was nicknamed the “Payyoli Express” and the “Queen of Indian track and field”. Coached by the legendary OM Nambiar, Usha dominated Asian athletics throughout the 1980s.
At just 16 years old, she became the youngest Indian sprinter to compete at the Olympics, representing India at the 1980 Moscow Games. Her finest Olympic performance came at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, where she finished fourth in the women’s 400 metres hurdles, missing the bronze medal by a mere 1/100th of a second. She remains the first Indian woman to reach an Olympic athletics final.
Usha’s medal tally includes 4 gold and 7 silver medals at the Asian Games, with her most successful outing being the 1986 Seoul Asian Games, where she won 4 gold medals and 1 silver, setting Asian Games records in every event she entered. At the 1985 Asian Athletics Championships in Jakarta, she won 5 gold medals and 1 bronze in a single meet, a record unmatched in Asian athletics. Over her career, she won 23 medals at Asian track and field events, 14 of them gold.
Usha was honoured with the Arjuna Award in 1984 and the Padma Shri in 1985. She currently serves as the President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) since 2022, becoming the first woman and the first Olympian to hold the post in the IOA’s history.
Anju Bobby George: India’s First World Championships Medallist
Anju Bobby George, born on 19 April 1977 in Kottayam, Kerala, made history by becoming the first Indian athlete to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships, securing a bronze in the women’s long jump at the 2003 World Championships in Paris with a leap of 6.70 metres. She remains the only Indian to have achieved this feat.
Her personal best of 6.83 metres, set at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where she finished fifth, still stands as the Indian national record in women’s long jump. She followed her World Championships success with a gold medal at the 2005 World Athletics Final in Monaco. Her international accolades include a gold at the 2002 Busan Asian Games, a bronze at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games, and multiple Asian Championships medals.
Anju received the Arjuna Award in 2002, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2003, and the Padma Shri in 2004. She currently serves as the Senior Vice President of the Athletics Federation of India, continuing to contribute to the sport’s development.
Gurbachan Singh Randhawa: The Indian Jim Thorpe
Gurbachan Singh Randhawa, born on 6 June 1939 in Nangli, Amritsar, Punjab, is considered one of the most versatile athletes India has ever produced, often called the “Indian Jim Thorpe”. At the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta, he won the gold medal in decathlon and was adjudged the Best Athlete of Asia.
His versatility was remarkable. At the 1960 Delhi Nationals, he broke four national records in two days in the javelin throw, 110 metres hurdles, high jump, and decathlon. After a shoulder injury forced him to shift focus, he specialised in the 110 metres hurdles and finished fifth in the final at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics with a timing of 14.00 seconds, becoming the first Indian to reach an Olympic hurdles final.
Randhawa is one of the first recipients of the Arjuna Award in 1961, making him the first athlete from India to receive the honour. He was also conferred the Padma Shri in 2005. He served as the chairman of the AFI’s selection committee and was the flagbearer for India at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
Bahadur Singh Chauhan: Shot Put Champion and Chief Coach
Bahadur Singh Chauhan, born on 8 February 1946, enjoyed a decorated career as a shot putter before serving Indian athletics for 25 years as the National Chief Coach. As an athlete, he won back-to-back Asian Games gold medals in shot put at Bangkok 1978 and New Delhi 1982, to add to the silver he won at Tehran 1974. He also won medals at four consecutive Asian Track and Field Meets, including a gold in Seoul 1975. He represented India at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
After retiring as an athlete, Chauhan became the National Chief Coach of the Indian athletics team in February 1995, a position he held until 2020. Under his stewardship, Indian athletics saw its finest performance at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games, winning 20 medals, including 8 gold and 9 silver, India’s best-ever haul in athletics at the Asian Games. India also won 12 athletics medals at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games under his tenure.
Chauhan was awarded the Arjuna Award in 1976, the Dronacharya Award in 1998, and the Padma Shri in 1983.
Key Takeaways
- The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) was founded in 1946, is headquartered in New Delhi, and is affiliated with World Athletics and the Asian Athletics Association.
- The inaugural Indian Athletics Awards featured 10 categories and were presented by Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on 20 June 2026 in New Delhi.
- Neeraj Chopra (Best Male Athlete) and Parul Chaudhary (Best Female Athlete) received ₹10 lakh each for their performances in the 2025 season.
- Shanavaz Khan (long jump) and Pooja Singh (high jump) were named Best Emerging Athletes, receiving ₹2.5 lakh each.
- PT Usha, who won 4 gold and 7 silver medals at the Asian Games, received the Lifetime Achievement Award. She became the first woman President of the Indian Olympic Association in 2022.
- Anju Bobby George is the first and only Indian to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships, securing bronze in women’s long jump at Paris 2003.
- Gurbachan Singh Randhawa won the decathlon gold at the 1962 Asian Games and was among the first recipients of the Arjuna Award in 1961.
- Bahadur Singh Chauhan won back-to-back Asian Games gold medals in shot put (1978 and 1982) and served as National Chief Coach for 25 years, guiding India to its best-ever athletics haul of 20 medals at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games.
