Tanvi Sharma and Lakshya Sen The Tech Word News Sports Awards (TOISA) is back for the eighth time. It will honor the inspirational stories and achievements of India’s top athletes from many different sports. The TOISA 2025 ceremony will be held on March 21, 2026 in Lucknow. The event will bring together well-known sports stars and new talents who have made India proud in the past year.In this edition, TOISA recognizes athletes in more than 45 sports categories. The awards will cover performances from January 1 to December 31, 2025. Indian sport has had a fantastic year with many memorable wins and record-breaking moments at world championships and major international tournaments.In 2025, Indian badminton players have put in impressive performances and 10 of them have been nominated, including Lakshya Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. They competed across men’s and women’s singles and doubles, highlighting India’s growing talent in the sport.The panel for TOISA 2025 includes some of India’s biggest sports names: Leander Paes (Tennis), Mithali Raj (Cricket), Abhinav Bindra (Shooting), Devendra Jhajharia (Para Athletics), Sharath Kamal (Table Tennis) and PR Sreejesh (Hockey). These seasoned athletes will help select the winners of this year’s awards.Here are the badminton players nominated for TOISA 2025 (men and women):BADMINTON – MANLakshya SenDate of birth: August 16, 2001Place of Birth: Almora, UttarakhandSport: badminton, men’s singlesMajor achievements in 2025:Australian Open: HoneyHong Kong Open Super 500: SilverIn 2025, Lakshya Sen showed that he remains one of the best badminton players in India. He won the Australian Open Super 500 men’s singles title in Sydney, becoming only the second Indian player to win the tournament. The victory ended his wait for a title and was his first World Tour win of the season. He also finished runner-up at the Hong Kong Open and reached several semi-finals, showing steady form throughout the year. His semi-final run at the 2024 Paris Olympics proved he can compete with the world’s best players.Ayush ShettyDate of birth: May 3, 2005Place of Birth: Karkala, Udupi (Karnataka)Sport: Badminton, men’s singlesMajor achievements in 2025:US Open Super 300: GoldAyush Shetty is one of India’s budding badminton players. He won a silver medal at the 2023 BWF World Junior Championships and showed his talent at the junior level. He then moved on to senior tournaments and did very well in 2025, winning his first BWF World Tour title and defeating several top players. His continuous improvement and strong performances show that he has a bright future and can become one of India’s best singles players.Chirag ShettyDate of birth: July 4, 1997Place of Birth: Malad, MumbaiSports: badminton, men’s doublesMajor achievements in 2025:BWF World Championships: BronzeHong Kong Open: SilverChina Masters: SilverChirag Shetty is an Indian badminton player who specializes in men’s doubles. His permanent partner is Satwiksiraj Rankireddy and together they are among the best men’s doubles pairs in the world. Chirag is known for his speed, agility and strong teamwork. The duo has won several international titles and medals in major tournaments such as the World Championships and the Asian Games, making them one of the most successful and celebrated men’s pairs in India.Satwiksiraj Rankireddy Date of birth: August 13, 2000Place of Birth: Amalapuram, Andhra PradeshSports: badminton, men’s doublesSatwiksiraj Rankireddy is an Indian badminton player who plays men’s doubles with his partner Chirag Shetty. Together they form one of the best men’s doubles pairs in the world. Satwik is known for his powerful smashes, speed and strong teamwork. The pair have won several international titles and medals at major events such as the World Championships and the Asian Games, making Satwik a key figure in Indian badminton and a major contributor to India’s success in men’s doubles.Kiran GeorgeDate of birth: February 11, 2000Place of Birth: Kochi, KeralaSport: Badminton, men’s singlesMajor achievements in 2025:Odisha Masters Super 100: GoldKiran George is an Indian badminton player who has shown strong performances in international tournaments. He has won the Odisha Masters title twice, in 2022 and again in 2025, which shows his consistency and improvement. Kiran has represented India at many BWF events and continues to work hard to improve his ranking. Due to his attacking style and confidence on the court, he is considered as one of the promising Indian singles players for the future.BADMINTON – WOMENTanvi SharmaDate of birth: December 22, 2008Place of Birth: Hoshiarpur, PunjabSport: Badminton, women’s singlesMajor achievements in 2025:US Open Super 300: SilverWorld Junior Championships: SilverAsian Junior Championships: BronzeTanvi Sharma is an up-and-coming Indian badminton player who has made 2025 a remarkable year. She won a silver medal at the BWF World Junior Championships, becoming the first Indian girl in 17 years to do so. She also reached the US Open Super 300 final and won bronze at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships. Tanvi is known for her speed, skill and determination on the court. Her strong performances show that she has a bright future ahead of her and could become one of India’s best singles players.Unnati HoodaDate of birth: September 20, 2007Place of Birth: Rohtak, HaryanaSport: Badminton, women’s singlesMajor achievements in 2025:Odisha Master Super 100: GoldUnnati Hooda is an up-and-coming Indian badminton player who has had a great year in 2025. She won the Odisha Masters, her second title at the event, and reached the quarterfinals of the China Open where she beat Olympic medalist PV Sindhu, the highlight of her year. She also made it to the semifinals of the Taipei Open. Apart from her sporting achievements, she scored an impressive 93% in the CBSE Class 12 examinations. Known for her speed, skill and determination, Unnati is one of India’s most promising young singles players.Tressa JollyDate of birth: May 27, 2003Place of Birth: Cherupuzha, KeralaSport: Badminton, women’s doublesMajor achievements in 2025:Syed Modi International Super 300: GoldTurkey International Challenge: GoldTreesa Jolly is an Indian badminton player who plays women’s doubles with her partner Gayatri Gopichand. In 2025, she won the Syed Modi International Super 300 title and reached several other finals in international tournaments. Treesa also won the mixed doubles title at the Türkiye International Challenge with Hariharan Amsakarunan. She and Gayatri were part of the Indian team that won a historic gold at the Badminton Asia Team Championships. They achieved a career-best world ranking of No. 9, making them one of India’s top women’s doubles pairs. Treesa is known for her speed, teamwork and skills on the court.Gayatri GopichandDate of birth: March 4, 2003Place of Birth: Hyderabad, TelanganaSport: Badminton, women’s doublesMajor achievements in 2025:Syed Modi International Super 300: GoldGayatri Gopichand is an Indian badminton player who partners with Treesa Jolly in the women’s doubles. In 2025, she won the Syed Modi International Super 300 and made several deep rounds in other BWF tournaments. Gayatri and Treesa were also part of the Indian team that won a historic gold medal at the Badminton Asia Team Championships. They achieved a career-high world ranking of No. 9, becoming one of India’s top doubles pairs. Gayatri is known for her agility, smart play and teamwork, making her a key figure in Indian badminton.
