TOISA 2025: Sailing nominees reflect India's progress in the sport

The eighth edition of the Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) will be held on March 21, 2026, in Lucknow, celebrating the achievements and inspiring journeys of India’s top athletes across various sports.TOISA 2025 will honour performances from January 1 to December 31, 2025, recognising standout moments from global championships and international tournaments.More than 45 categories will acknowledge both sporting icons and emerging talents who brought pride to the country. Winners will be chosen by a distinguished jury of sporting legends, including Abhinav Bindra, PR Sreejesh, Mithali Raj, Devendra Jhajharia, Sharath Kamal, and Leander Paes, ensuring credible recognition of excellence in Indian sport.

Here are the sailing players nominated for TOISA 2025:Name: Vishnu SaravananDate of Birth: 24 February 1999Place of Birth: Vellore, Tamil Nadu, IndiaSport: SailingMajor Achievements in 2025:• Became the highest-ranked Indian sailor in World Sailing rankings (World No. 13 in Men’s ILCA7)India's Vishnu Saravanan added another first to his name as he became the highest-ranked sailor from the country in the latest World Sailing rankings released recently. Saravanan, 26, winner of the bronze medal in the men's dinghy ILCA7 event at the Hangzhou Asian Games, reached a career-best ranking of 13th with 776 points, the highest by an Indian sailor.

Name: Zahaan HemrajaniDate of Birth: Not publicly availablePlace of Birth: Mumbai, MaharashtraSport: SailingMajor Achievements in 2025:• U17 O’pen Skiff World Championships: Top-10 finish In a landmark moment for Indian sailing, Mumbai's Zahaan Hemrajani has secured a Top 10 overall finish at the prestigious U17 O'pen Skiff World Championships, held from July 17 to 23 in Nishinomiya, Japan. His outstanding result marks one of the highest-ever finishes by an Indian sailor at this global youth event.The championship was organised by the International O'pen Skiff Association, a recognised youth class under World Sailing, the global governing body for the sport.Name: Abhimanyu PanwarDate of Birth: Not publicly availablePlace of Birth: Not publicly availableSport: SailingMajor Achievements in 2025:• Fareast Cup offshore sailing event: Podium finishAbhimanyu Panwar, an accomplished international sailor from Chennai, has made history by becoming the first Indian skipper to lead a team to a podium finish at the prestigious Fareast Cup, one of the world’s most challenging offshore sailing events.Name: Ghashiayah ADate of Birth: Not publicly availablePlace of Birth: Not publicly availableSport: SailingMajor Achievements in 2025:• Girls’ division at FOTNA Cup: Second placeGhashiayah A finished second in the girls’ division at the FOTNA Cup 2025 sailing regatta. The event, held at the Royal Madras Yacht Club, featured competitive fleets and provided emerging sailors an entry into national-level racing. Her podium finish highlighted her potential as an up-and-coming sailor in India’s youth sailing scene.