TURF 2022: Avani Lekhara, Antim Panghal, Linthoi Chanambam among award winners

At the TURF 2022 & India Sports Awards of FICCI, former Ranji cricketer Sarkar Talwar was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement of the Year award on Saturday. Talwar, the Director-Sports, Manav Rachna Education Institutions, is also the recipient of the Dronacharya Lifetime Award, given by the President of India.

Apart from Talwar, Avani Lekhara, who won two medals at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, was recognised as the Para Sports Person of the Year, while Shrey Kadyan was recognised as the Special Sportsperson of the Year.

All India Chess Federation was awarded as the National Sports Federation of the year for successfully hosting the Chess Olympiad in Chennai. Rising Indian stars Antim Panghal (wrestling) and Linthoi Chanambam (Judo) were awarded as the emerging female sportsperson of the year.

For their remarkable work over the past decade, Odisha was recognised as the best state for promoting sports. Young Table Tennis player Payas Jain was awarded the male emerging player of the year.

List of Awards:

Best Equipment Company Promoting Sports: STAG

Best Sports Infrastructure Construction Company: TransStadia

Best Educational Institute Promoting Sports: Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT)

Best School Promoting Sports: Manav Rachna International School

Best NGO Promoting Sports: Special Olympics Bharat

Best Corporate Promoting Sports Development: JSW

Sports Journalist of the Year - Electronic: Shri Nikhil Naz

Sports Journalist of the Year - Print: Shri Rakesh Rao

Excellence in Sports Governance: Sports Authority of India

Coach of the Year - Male: Shri RB Ramesh

Coach of the Year - Female: Smt. Nonita Lal Qureshy

Sports Franchise of the Year: Bengaluru Bulls - Pro Kabaddi League

Best States Promoting Sports: Odisha

National Sports Federation of the Year: All India Chess Federation

Emerging Sports Person - Male: Payas Jain, Table Tennis

Emerging Sports Person - Female: Linthoi Chanambam, Antim Panghal

Sportsperson of the Year - Special: Shrey Kadyan

Sportsperson of the Year - Para: Avani Lekhara

Lifetime Achievement Award: Shri Sarkar Talwar

The latest edition of FICCI Turf 2022 was a star-studded affair, witnessing participation by renowned sportspersons, including Ms Manika Batra, Khel Ratna and Arjuna Awardee, Smt Anju Bobby George, Padma Shri, Khel Ratna, and Arjuna Awardee, former Indian Cricketer and Lok Sabha MP Mr Gautam Gambhir, and Ms Mithali Raj, Former Captain, Indian Women's National Cricket Team.