The BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year 2025 awards ceremony was held in New Delhi, where India cricketer Smriti Mandhana was named Sportswoman of the Year for 2025. The awards recognised achievements across multiple disciplines in Indian women’s sport.
Smriti Mandhana Named Sportswoman of the Year
Smriti Mandhana was selected as the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year 2025 at a ceremony held on Monday in New Delhi. She played a key role in India’s historic victory in the 2025 Women’s World Cup and delivered consistent performances throughout the tournament.
Mandhana was unable to attend the ceremony due to her tour of Australia and conveyed her gratitude through a video message. She stated that the award was the result of the entire team’s effort and described the year as historic for women’s cricket.
Divya Deshmukh Receives Emerging Player of the Year Award
Indian chess player Divya Deshmukh was honoured with the Emerging Player of the Year award. At the age of 20, she won the FIDE Women’s World Cup, creating history with the achievement.
Para-Sportswoman of the Year: Preeti Pal
Preeti Pal, who won two bronze medals in track and field events at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, was named Para-Sportswoman of the Year. Her performance was recognised during the ceremony.
Anjali Bhagwat Honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award
Veteran Indian shooter Anjali Bhagwat received the Lifetime Achievement Award. She was the first Indian woman shooter to reach an Olympic final.
Star Performer of the Year 2025
The following teams and athletes were recognised in the Star Performer of the Year 2025 category:
Indian Women’s Cricket Team – World Cup winners
Indian Women’s Blind Cricket Team – World Cup winners
Indian Women’s Kabaddi Team – World Cup winners
Simran Sharma, Ekta Bhayan, Deepti Jeevanji and Preeti Pal – Performance at the World Para Athletics Championship
Changemakers of the Year Awards
The Changemakers of the Year awards were presented to recognise positive social impact and contributions in sport:
Indian Women’s Ice Hockey Team – Contribution in a non-traditional sport
Rajbir Kaur – Former captain of the Indian women’s hockey team
Savita Punia – Senior player of the Indian national women’s hockey team
Pani Devi – Contribution to grassroots sports development
