The eighth edition of the Sportstar Aces Awards will be held at the Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai on Friday, honouring the athletes, teams, and defining moments that shaped the past year in Indian sport.

Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Raksha Khadse, will grace the occasion as the chief guest. Since taking charge in 2024, Khadse has focused on empowering India’s youth, strengthening sports governance, and promoting women-led development in sport. During her tenure, more than two lakh girls from 250 districts participated in the ASMITA League on International Women’s Day this year, an initiative aimed at expanding opportunities for women in sport as India pursues its bid to host the 2036 Olympics.

The past year marked a significant step forward for Indian women’s sport. The women’s cricket and kabaddi teams lifted World Cup titles in their respective disciplines, while the Indian blind women’s cricket team created history by winning the inaugural Blind Women’s T20 World Cup.

These achievements build on a legacy shaped by trailblazers such as Shantha Rangaswamy, Diana Edulji, Karnam Malleswari, P.V. Sindhu, and Sania Mirza, whose success helped widen the pathway for future generations. The 2026 Sportstar Aces Awards celebrate this intersection of legacy and promise.

The awards feature five Popular Choice categories: Sportstar of the Year (Male), Sportstar of the Year (Female), National Team of the Year, Club or State Team of the Year, and Sporting Moment of the Year.

Three special honours will also be conferred: the Award of Excellence, the Ace of Aces, and the International Icon. The Chairperson’s Award for Sports for Social Good will recognise individuals or organisations that have used sport to drive meaningful social change.

The winners have been chosen by a distinguished jury chaired by Sunil Gavaskar, with M. M. Somaya, Abhinav Bindra, Viswanathan Anand, Anjali Bhagwat, and Aparna Popat serving as panel members.

The 2026 Sportstar Aces Awards are presented by Amul, co-presented by Casagrand in association with SRM Institute of Science and Technology. SBI, Christ University, Bharat Petroleum, LIC, Sports Authority of Telangana, NTPC, Indian Softball Cricket Foundation, Jaquar And Company Private Limited are associate partners. Reva University is the education partner. Blue Star is the cooling partner, while Times Now is the telecast partner.

Published on Mar 12, 2026