Smriti Mandhana and Samrat Rana LUCKNOW: Two world champions from different sporting arenas – Smriti Mandhana and Samrat Rana – were named Sportspersons of the Year at the eighth edition of The Tech Word News Sports Awards (TOISA) in Lucknow on Saturday.In a glittering ceremony attended by top sportspersons and dignitaries, pistol shooter Rana and Indian women’s cricket vice-captain Mandhana were felicitated for their outstanding performances in 2025. Both sportspersons had outstanding campaigns, dominating their respective disciplines and emerged as the performers of the year.Mandhana played a defining role in the history of Indian cricket and helped the team win its first ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup title. India defeated South Africa by 52 runs in the final, with Mandhana making significant contributions throughout the tournament. She scored 434 runs to finish as the second highest run scorer and also smashed a breathtaking 50-ball century against England – the second fastest hundred in women’s international cricket.Her dominance extended beyond the World Cup. During the year, Mandhana became the first woman to score more than 1,000 ODI runs in a calendar year and equaled the record for most ODI centuries in a year with five. She also achieved significant career milestones, crossing 4,000 T20I runs and crossing 10,000 international runs – becoming only the second Indian after Mithali Raj to reach the milestone.Rana’s historic rise in shootingWhile Mandhana shone on the cricket field, Samrat Rana made history in shooting. The 21-year-old became India’s first world champion in 10m air pistol, marking a watershed moment in his career. At the 2025 ISSF World Championships, Rana produced a sensational performance to win two gold medals – in the individual and team events – along with a silver in the mixed team event alongside Esh Singh.With this feat, Rana joined the elite list of Indian world shooting champions that includes Abhinav Bindra and Rudrankksh Patil. He capped off his remarkable season with a bronze medal at the World Cup finals in Doha, underscoring his consistency at the highest level.Celebrating a landmark year for Indian sportsThe eighth edition of TOISA celebrated Indian sporting excellence in over 45 categories and recognized achievements between January 1 and December 31, 2025. The awards highlighted a year full of historic achievements, including India’s achievements in global cricket tournaments, athletics and para sports.The winners were selected by an eminent jury consisting of legends like Abhinav Bindra, PR Sreejesh, Mithali Raj, Achanta Sharath Kamal, Leander Paes and Devendra Jhajharia.
