TOISA 2024 Nominees: Celebrating excellence in football

NEW DELHI: India's most celebrated football stars will come together for the Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) 2024, set in Lucknow on February 22.Recognising the nation's top athletes and their unwavering commitment to excellence, the seventh edition of TOISA will honour those who delivered standout performances in 2024.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!This year's theme, #MoreSweatMoreGlory, pays tribute to the relentless spirit of athletes and para-athletes across diverse sporting disciplines.The TOISA 2025 Jury comprises of former long-jumper and senior vice-president of AFI, Anju Bobby George; Olympic medal-winning wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt; Former captain of the Indian hockey team, Dilip Tirkey; Paralympic medalist Javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia; Olympic medallist, boxer Vijender Singh.Here are the footballers nominated for TOISA 2024:Footballer of the Year - MenLallianzuala ChhangteDate of Birth: June 8, 1997 Place of Birth: Lunglei, Mizoram Sport: Football (men's) Major Achievements in 2024 - Played 27 games for club Mumbai City in ISL, domestic competitions- Played 8 games for Indian national team- Scored 9 goals and provided seven assists- Won ISL title with Mumbai City FC in ISL 2023/24 seasonLallianzuala Chhangte was conferred with the AIFF Men's Player of the Year award for the 2023-24 season. He was one of the standout performers for Indian football team and Mumbai City FC. In 2024 he played 27 games for the ISL club and scored nine goals while providing seven assists. His excellent scoring skills helped Mumbai City FC clinch the ISL title with three goals coming in the semi-finals. He also played eight games for India in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and friendlies.Sunil ChhetriDate of Birth: August 3, 1984Place of Birth: Secunderabad, Telangana Sport: Football (men's)Major Achievements in 2024 - 28 games for Bengaluru FC- 11 goals, 2 assists for Bengaluru FC- 6 games, 1 goal for Indian football teamSunil Chhetri, the iconic captain and striker of the Indian national team for many years played his last in 2024. He retired in June after a 19-year international career having scored 94 goals. His last, and only goal in 2024, came against Afghanistan. He continued to play for Bengaluru FC where he scored 11 goals and two assists in 2024.Lalengmawia Ralte (Apuia)Date of Birth: October 17, 2000 Place of Birth: Aizawl, Mizoram Sport: Football (men's)Major Achievements in 2024 - 9 games for India in AFC Asian Cup, World Cup qualifiers and friendlies- 53 games for Mumbai City, Mohun Bagan Super Giant scoring one goal, providing two assistsLalengmawia Ralte, more commonly called Apuia, made a big money move from Mumbai City FC to Mohun Bagan Super Giant at the conclusion of the 2023/24 ISL season. His move came after an 81-game stint with Mumbai where he scored six goals, two assists. At 24, he's made himself a prominent name in the Indian national team and with the historic Kolkata club.Jeakson SinghDate of Birth: June 21, 2001 Place of Birth: Thoubal, Manipur Sport: Football (men's)Major Achievements in 2024 - 23 games for East Bengal across competitions- 6 games for the Indian national team- 2 goals for East Bengal in the ISLJeakson Singh propelled himself into the spotlight by becoming the biggest transfer in Indian football history when East Bengal spent Rs 3.2 crore on him. The 23-year-old midfielder played 23 games for the club in 2024 and scored two goals. He also made six appearances for the Indian national team.Footballer of the Year - WomenGrace DangmeiDate of Birth: February 5, 1996 Place of Birth: Dimdailong, Manipur Sport: Football In 2024, Indian forward Grace Dangmei delivered notable performances for the national team. On October 17, during the SAFF Women's Championship opener against Pakistan at Kathmandu's Dasharath Stadium, she scored two goals, contributing to India's 5-2 victory. Throughout the year, Grace earned seven international caps and scored two goals for India. Her consistent contributions have been instrumental in bolstering India's attacking prowess in regional tournaments.Karishma ShirvoikarDate of Birth: August 4, 2001 Place of Birth: Odxel (Goa) Sport: Football (Women's)Major Achievements in 2024:- 8 goals for Kickstart FC - second highest in IWL seasonThe Goa-born Karnataka player Karishma Shirvoikar plies her trade for Kickstart FC Karnataka in the Indian Women's League. In the 2023-24 season, she scored 8 goals for the club - the second-highest in the league season. She was one of only six players who scored a hat-trick during the season.Pyari XaxaDate of Birth: May 18, 1997Place of Birth: Sundergarh, Odisha Sport: FootballIn 2024, Indian footballer Pyari Xaxa delivered outstanding performances at both club and international levels. Representing Odisha FC at Indian Women's League, Pyari emerged as the team's top scorer in the 2023–24 season, netting eight goals. She was the joint second-highest scorer in the league, playing a pivotal role in Odisha FC clinching the IWL title with a commanding 6-0 victory over Kickstart FC on March 24, 2024.Pyari was part of the Indian senior women's football team that lost a two-match friendly series 0-1 against Uzbekistan, with matches played in Tashkent on 31 May and 4 June 2024.She also contributed to the team finishing as runners-up in the Turkish Women's Cup International Football Tournament, held in Alanya, Turkey, from 21-27 February 2024.In their FIFA friendly matches against Myanmar in Yangon on 9 and 12 July 2024, Pyari scored both goals for India. India lost the first match 1-2 and drew the second 1-1.As captain of the Odisha team, she led them to a silver medal in the 29th Senior Women National Football Championship for the Rajmata Jijabai Trophy (Final Round) at RKM Ashram Ground in Narainpur, Chhattisgarh, on 23 December 2024. She finished second in the scorers list with 12 goals and earned the Player of the Match award twice during the championship.On December 30, 2024, Pyari showcased her goal-scoring prowess by achieving a hat-trick in just eight minutes, contributing to India's 14-0 triumph over the Maldives.Indumathi KathiresanDate of Birth: June 5, 1994Place of Birth: Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu Sport: FootballMajor Achievements in 2024:- 2024: Asia Team Championships (Women's team) - GOLD- 2024: Syed Modi International (Women's doubles) - GOLDIn 2024, Indumathi Kathiresan achieved significant milestones in her football career. On July 19, 2024, she was honoured as the All India Football Federation's (AIFF) Women's Player of the Year, becoming the first player from Tamil Nadu to receive this accolade.As a key midfielder for Odisha FC, Indumathi played a pivotal role in securing the 2023-24 IWL title. She scored five goals during the tournament and was named the Best Midfielder. In February 2024, she scored against Estonia during the Turkish Women's Cup, contributing to India's performance in the tournament.