New Delhi: Olympic medallist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra was named Best Male Athlete of the Year at the Indian Athletics Awards 2025 in the national capital on Saturday.
The award recognises his consistent performances across the international circuit, including a strong comeback season after recovering from a back injury sustained ahead of the World Championships in Tokyo.
Neeraj said the honour was special to him and noted that it came in the presence of both senior and emerging athletes.
The 28-year-old began his season with a best throw of 85.69m at his opening event and later made headlines last year by becoming the first Indian to cross the 90m mark in javelin with a throw of 90.23m at the Doha Diamond League, according to olympics.com.
Despite finishing eighth at the World Championships in Tokyo, he delivered a consistent season overall, winning four of the seven events he competed in and finishing second in the remaining three.
His victories included major international meets such as the Ostrava Golden Spike, Paris Diamond League, and the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru.
In the women’s category, national record holder Parul Chaudhary was named Best Female Athlete of the Year after winning gold in the 3000m steeplechase and 5000m at the Asian Championships.
She is also the defending champion in the women’s 5000m event at the Asian Games later this year.
Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha received the Lifetime Achievement Award and said she was surprised to be honoured without having applied for it, calling it a positive initiative by the Athletics Federation of India.
Other Lifetime Achievement Award recipients included Gurbachan Singh Randhawa, Bahadur Singh Chauhan, and Anju Bobby George for their contributions to Indian athletics.
The Indian Athletics Awards, initiated by the Athletics Federation of India, recognise athletes, coaches, officials, and state associations for their contribution to the sport’s development across the country.
