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 Wrestling Player of the Year nominees showcase India’s finest male and female wrestlers, celebrating their remarkable achievements in 2025. Among the men, Aman Sehrawat impressed with gold at the Yasar Dogu & Vehbi Emre & Hamit Kaplan International and bronze at the Ulaanbaatar Open, building on his historic Paris 2024 Olympic medal. Sunil Kumar and Nitesh earned continental bronze medals in Greco-Roman wrestling, highlighting India’s depth in the style. Rising star Sujeet Kalkal claimed double gold at the U-23 World Wrestling Championships and the Polyak Imre & Varga Janos Memorial, announcing himself as a global contender. On the women’s side, Antim Panghal won bronze at the World Championships and gold at the Ulaanbaatar Open and Senior Nationals, demonstrating versatility across weight classes. Manisha Bhanwala captured Asian gold in the 62 kg category, while Nisha Dahiya claimed U23 World bronze and Senior National gold, underscoring India’s growing prowess in women’s freestyle wrestling.Aman SehrawatDate of Birth: July 16, 2003Place of Birth: Birohar, Haryana, IndiaMajor Achievements in 2025:Gold — Men’s 57 kg freestyle at Yasar Dogu & Vehbi Emre & Hamit Kaplan InternationalBronze — Men’s 57 kg freestyle – Ulaanbaatar Open Ranking SeriesAman Sehrawat is one of India’s most promising freestyle wrestlers, best known for becoming the youngest Indian to win an individual Olympic medal with bronze at the Paris 2024 Olympics. In 2025, he continued to compete strongly on the international and national stages, demonstrating both his skill and resilience.Sehrawat began the year with a standout performance at the Yasar Dogu & Vehbi Emre & Hamit Kaplan International 2025 in Turkey, where he won gold in the men’s 57 kg freestyle category, a prestigious ranking event that attracts top global talent. He also secured a bronze medal at the Ulaanbaatar Open, adding valuable ranking points and competitive experience.Sunil KumarDate of Birth: September 29, 1999Place of Birth: Dabarpur, Sonipat district, HaryanaMajor Achievements in 2025Bronze: Men’s 87 kg Greco-Roman – Asian Wrestling ChampionshipsSunil Kumar is an accomplished Indian Greco-Roman wrestler competing in the 87 kg weight class. He has been a key figure in India’s traditional strengths in Greco-Roman wrestling and has consistently delivered strong performances on the continental stage.In 2025, Sunil maintained his competitive edge by winning a bronze medal at the Asian Wrestling Championships held in Amman, Jordan. Competing in the men’s 87 kg Greco-Roman category, he opened India’s medal account at the championships.NiteshMajor Achievements in 2025Bronze — Men’s Greco-Roman 97 kg at Senior Asian Wrestling ChampionshipsNitesh is an emerging Indian Greco-Roman wrestler who made a significant impact on the continental stage in 2025, earning his first major senior medal for India. At the Senior Asian Wrestling Championships 2025 held in Amman, Jordan, he competed in the men’s Greco-Roman 97 kg category and produced a dominant performance to secure the bronze medal.Sujeet KalkalDate of Birth: November 5, 2002Place of Birth: Imlota, Bhiwani district, HaryanaMajor Achievements in 2025Gold: Men’s Freestyle 65 kg – U-23 World Wrestling ChampionshipsGold: Men’s Freestyle 65 kg – Polyak Imre & Varga Janos MemorialSujeet Kalkal is a rapidly rising Indian freestyle wrestler competing in the 65 kg weight category, known for his sharp technique and aggressive style on the mat. In 2025, Kalkal made a major breakthrough on the global stage, announcing himself as a world-class contender with multiple gold medal performances.His standout achievement came at the U-23 World Wrestling Championships 2025 in Novi Sad, Serbia, where he won the gold medal in the men’s 65 kg freestyle competition. Kalkal dominated the final with a commanding 10-0 win by technical superiority, becoming one of only a few Indian wrestlers to claim a world title in his age group.He also struck gold at the Polyak Imre & Varga Janos Memorial 2025 — part of the United World Wrestling Ranking Series — where he defeated a seasoned European medallist in the final, showcasing his tactical maturity and competitive resilience.Antim PanghalDate of Birth: August 31, 2004Place of Birth: Bhagana, HaryanaMajor Achievements in 2025:Bronze: Women’s 53 kg – World Wrestling Championships in ZagrebGold: Women’s 53 kg – Ulaanbaatar OpenGold: Women’s 55 kg – Senior National Wrestling ChampionshipsBronze: Women’s 55 kg – Asian Wrestling Championships 2025, Amman (women’s 53 kg)Antim Panghal is one of India’s most promising freestyle wrestlers, consistently delivering strong performances on both the continental and global stage. In 2025, her campaign reaffirmed her place among the elite in women’s wrestling. At the 2025 World Wrestling Championships in Zagreb, she won the bronze medal in the women’s 53 kg category, defeating Sweden’s Emma Malmgren 9-1 to earn India’s only freestyle medal at the tournament and becoming only the second Indian woman wrestler to win multiple World Championship medals in history.Antim claimed gold at the Ulaanbaatar Open 2025 in Mongolia with a dominant 10-0 victory in the final, showcasing her technical superiority.Domestically, she moved up to 55 kg to win gold at the Senior National Wrestling Championships, proving her versatility across weight classes. She also secured a bronze medal at the Asian Wrestling Championships 2025, contributing to India’s medal tally.Manisha BhanwalaDate of Birth: February 10, 1997Place of Birth: Rohtak, HaryanaMajor Achievements in 2025:Gold: Women’s 62 kg – Asian Wrestling ChampionshipsManisha Bhanwala is a prominent Indian freestyle wrestler who delivered a breakthrough performance in 2025, cementing her status among Asia’s elite. Competing in the women’s 62 kg category, she produced a memorable campaign at the Asian Wrestling Championships 2025 in Amman, Jordan.Nisha DahiyaDate of Birth: October 18, 1998Place of Birth: Adiyana, HaryanaMajor Achievements in 2025:Bronze: Women’s freestyle 55 kg – 2025 U23 World Wrestling ChampionshipsGold: Women’s 68 kg – Senior National Wrestling ChampionshipsNisha Dahiya is a seasoned Indian freestyle wrestler competing primarily in the 68 kg category at the senior level, with significant success in under-23 international competition as well. In 2025, she continued to build her reputation as a resilient and accomplished grappler. At the 2025 U23 World Wrestling Championships in Novi Sad, Serbia, Dahiya showcased her technical skill and competitive maturity by winning the bronze medal in the women’s freestyle 55 kg division, demonstrating her ability to excel against top young wrestlers from around the world.Domestically, she was dominant at the Senior National Wrestling Championships 2025 in India, where she captured gold in the women’s 68 kg category, affirming her status as one of the country’s leading female wrestlers and earning a national title in her weight class.
