Hat-trick for JSW Sports at TOISA 2017

Three Athletes From The JSW Family Were Felicitated For Their Performances Over The Past Year

Mumbai: It was three-out-of-three for JSW Sports at the Times Of India Sports Awards 2017, held in Mumbai, on Monday. As many as 68 sports people were nominated in various categories of which long-distance runner Lalita Babar, wrestler Sakshi Malik and boxer Vikas Krishan Yadav picked up awards in their respective categories on Monday, in Mumbai.  

Lalita Babar, the 3000m steeplechase runner, had previously won a silver in the 2014 Asian games and a Gold medal in the 2015 Asian Championships. But her performance in the 2016 Rio Olympics turned many heads. A personal best time of 9 minutes and 19 seconds in the heats, was followed by Lalita becoming the first Indian in 32 years to enter the final of a track and field event at the Olympics. This achievement earned her the TOISA 2017 Athlete-of-the-Year award.

Sakshi Malik added another to her glorious list of accolades. Having picked up a Bronze in the 58 kg freestyle wrestling event, Sakshi became the first female wrestler to win a medal at the Olympics. Her bronze medal bout against reigning Asian Champion Aisuluu Tynybekova saw the young wrestler come back from 0-5 down to win 8-5. Having been awarded the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2016 and Padma Shri 2017, it was no doubt that Sakshi would pick up the Wrestler-of-the-Year award at TOISA 2017.

Vikas Krishan Yadav, at the age of 25, is AIBA’s Boxer of the Year and has punched above his weight time and again. After a Gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games, Vikas missed qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics by a find margin. For his efforts, he was conferred the Arjuna Award and went on to pick up the Bronze medal in the 2016 Olympic qualifiers held in Baku.

The trio now will look to leave their mark at the Commonwealth Games that is to be held in Australia in April 2018.