NEW DELHI: The masterminds behind India’s sporting success, whose dedication and strategic brilliance shaped outstanding performances last year, have earned nominations for the prestigious Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) 2024. These exceptional coaches, known for their vision, leadership, and ability to inspire, will be recognized in the Coach of the Year category.
With February 22 approaching, anticipation builds for the announcement of the coach who made the most significant impact. The winners will be honoured at a grand ceremony in Lucknow, famously known as the ‘City of Nawabs.’
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 and six-time world boxing champion Mary Kom.
Here are the coaches nominated for TOISA 2024:
Coach of the Year
Rahul Dravid
Date of Birth: 11 January, 1973
Place of Birth: Indore, Madhya Pradesh
Sport: Cricket
Major Achievements in 2024
– Led India to T20 World Cup title
Under Rahul Dravid’s leadership as head coach, the Indian cricket team achieved significant milestones across various formats. India clinched their second T20 World Cup title by defeating South Africa by seven runs in the final on June 29, 2024. This victory ended an 11-year ICC trophy drought and was a fitting conclusion to Dravid’s tenure.
Under Dravid’s guidance, India reached the final of the 2023 World Test Championship, showcasing consistent performance in the longest format of the game. The team won the Asia Cup 2023 and also advanced to the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup, further highlighting their dominance in international cricket during Dravid’s coaching period.
India exhibited exceptional performance in bilateral limited-overs series, both at home and abroad, under Dravid’s leadership. Dravid’s tenure as head coach concluded with the T20 World Cup victory, marking a successful period for Indian cricket.
Jaspal Rana
Date of Birth: 28 June, 1976
Place of Birth: Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand
Sport: Shooting
Major Achievements in 2024
– Helped Manu Bhaker win two bronze medals at Paris Olympics
– Won the award for Coach of the Year (Male) at the 2024 Indian Sports Honours
In 2024, Jaspal Rana, as the coach of Manu Bhaker, played a crucial role in helping her win two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics. Bhaker made history by becoming the first Indian woman to secure an Olympic medal in shooting. Rana guided her to bronze in both the 10m air pistol individual and 10m air pistol mixed team events.
His mentorship was instrumental in helping Bhaker realise her full potential and achieve her goals. After reuniting in 2023, their coaching partnership blossomed into a highly successful collaboration.
Deepali Deshpande
Date of Birth: 3 August, 1969
Place of Birth: Mumbai
Sport: Shooting
Major Achievements in 2024
– Helped Swapnil Kusale win bronze at 2024 Paris Olympics
– Conferred with Dronacharya Award for her outstanding achievements in shooting
In 2024, Deepali Deshpande, a distinguished Indian shooting coach, achieved significant milestones. Under her guidance, rifle shooter Swapnil Kusale secured a bronze medal in the men’s 50m rifle 3-positions event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, marking India’s first podium finish in this event.
Deepali’s coaching has been instrumental in shaping the careers of several prominent shooters, including Akhil Sheoran, Arjun Babuta, Sift Kaur Samra, Anjum Moudgil and Shriyanka Sadangi.
On January 17, 2025, President Droupadi Murmu honoured Deepali Deshpande with the prestigious Dronacharya Award for her exceptional contributions to shooting coaching.
Vimal Kumar
Date of Birth: 19 November, 1962
Place of Birth: Trivandrum, Kerala
Sport: Badminton
Major Achievements in 2024
– Helped Lakshya place fourth at the Paris Olympics
– Helped Lakshya improve his fitness, especially his speed and endurance
Ahead of the Paris Olympics, Vimal Kumar took over coaching responsibilities for shuttler Lakshya Sen. This decision followed Lakshya’s parting ways with coach Anup Sridhar, with Vimal stepping in to guide Sen during this critical period.
Vimal helped Lakshya place fourth at the Paris Olympics after he lost the bronze medal match. Lakshya, who became the first Indian shuttler to reach the badminton men’s singles semi-finals at the Summer Games, suffered a heartbreaking loss to Tokyo 2020 gold medallist Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the last four.
In early 2024, Vimal transitioned from his role as head coach at Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy to focus on coaching Lakshya. Sagar Chopda succeeded him as the head coach, taking over the leadership of the academy’s coaching team.