Ace Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra was honoured with the Best Male Athlete of the Year 2025 award at the inaugural Indian Athletics Awards ceremony on Saturday (June 20). The recognition adds another milestone to the decorated career of the Olympic gold and silver medallist. Receiving the award, Chopra expressed his gratitude and said the recognition was especially meaningful as it came in the presence of athletes from different eras. "Yeh award dil ke nazdik hai (This award is very close to my heart). The old and new generation of athletes are here. I am very happy to have received the award in front of them," said Chopra, who arrived from Doha earlier in the day to attend the event.
The 28-year-old had competed at the Doha Diamond League on Friday, finishing fourth in his season-opening event with a best throw of 85.69m, achieved in his third attempt. Chopra recently returned to competition after recovering from a back injury suffered before the World Championships in Tokyo in September 2025. His appearance in Doha marked his comeback following an eighth-place finish at the World Championships. Since May 25, he has been training in Switzerland after completing a rehabilitation programme in Turkiye.
Despite the injury setback, Chopra comfortably surpassed the Athletics Federation of India's qualification mark of 82.61m for the upcoming Commonwealth Games. The Best Female Athlete of the Year award was presented to Parul Chaudhary, the national record holder in the 3000m steeplechase. Earlier in the ceremony, legendary sprinter and Indian Olympic Association president P T Usha received the Lifetime Achievement Award for her outstanding contribution to Indian athletics.
Launched by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), the Indian Athletics Awards aim to celebrate and recognise the efforts of athletes, coaches, technical officials, mentors, state associations and other stakeholders who have contributed to the development of athletics in the country. The inaugural edition featured 10 award categories, including Best Male Athlete, Best Female Athlete, Best Coach, Best Technical Official, Best State Association and Lifetime Achievement Award.
