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BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year Award
Indian Sportswoman of the Year Award Trophy
Awarded forExcellence in sporting achievement
CountryIndia
Presented byBBC
First awarded2020
Last awarded2021
Currently held byKoneru Humpy

The BBC(British Broadcasting Corporation) Indian Sportswoman of the Year Award (abbreviated as BBC ISWOTY) is an initiative by the BBC in India to celebrate and honour sportswomen from India who have excelled in their respective fields. The first edition of the award took place in 2020, and P. V. Sindhu was the winner. The latest edition of the award took place in 2021, and Koneru Humpy was the winner.

Nomination and selection procedure

A list of fifty sportswomen from India is made based on their performance in the year preceding to the year of the award, on which a jury of sports journalists and experts votes. The five who receive the most votes are selected as nominees. These nominees are opened for the public to vote. People can cast their votes via various BBC websites, on which the award is promoted. The sportswomen with the highest number of votes is declared winner and award the title of "BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year".[1][2]

First edition

Group photograph of BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year Award 2020 ceremony

The award was first instituted in 2020. Sprinter Dutee Chand, para-badminton player Manasi Joshi, boxer Mary Kom, wrestler Vinesh Phogat, and badminton player P. V. Sindhu, were the final nominees who proceeded for public voting. On 8 March 2020, BBC held the award ceremony in Delhi, marking International Women’s Day, and Sindhu was named the Indian Sportswoman of the Year 2020. Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports (India) Kiren Rijiju was present as the guest of honour at the event. As a part of the program, retired track and field athlete P. T. Usha, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award.[3][4][5]

Second edition

BBC announced its second edition of ISWOTY on 18 January 2021. Nominees for the second edition were announced on 8 February. Indian hockey team captain Rani Rampal, wrestler Vinesh Phogat, shooter Manu Bhaker, chess player Koneru Humpy, and sprinter Dutee Chand, were the final nominees who proceeded for public voting. [6] In a press release on 8 March, BBC named Humary as Indian Sportswoman of the Year 2021. A lifetime achievement award was awarded to former athlete and Khel Ratna awardee Anju Bobby George.[7]

A sports edit-a-thon was organised as part of the ISWOTY 2021, where journalism students from across the country created/improved articles on Indian sportswomen in various Indic language Wikipedias.[8][9]

See also

References

  1. ^ "BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year: Mary Kom, 4 others nominated". EastMojo. 4 February 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  2. ^ "Online Voting Terms and Conditions". BBC News. 12 January 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  3. ^ "PV Sindhu wins 'BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year' award". The Times of India. Times Internet. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  4. ^ Press Trust of India (3 February 2020). "Vinesh Phogat, Mary Kom among nominees for BBC Sportswoman of the year award". The Indian Express. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  5. ^ "PV Sindhu named BBC Indian Sportswoman of Year". BBC. 8 March 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  6. ^ "Rani, Humpy, Manu nominated for BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year honour". Hindustan Times. 2021-02-08. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
  7. ^ "Humpy is BBC's Indian sportswoman of the year". The Hindu. 9 March 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ "BBC India Sportswoman of the Year contest returns". BBC. 18 January 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  9. ^ "300+ entries of Indian sportswomen added to Wikipedia in BBC 'Sports Hackathon'". Media Brief. 18 February 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2021.