BBC India Sportswoman of the Year contest returns

The BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year 2020 will be announced in March 2021

The BBC has announced the return of its sports award which celebrates and honours India's finest sportswomen.

The BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year 2020 (ISWOTY) will be chosen from a shortlist put together by a jury of sports journalists, experts and BBC editors.

Five shortlisted nominees will be announced on 8th February, 2021.

Last year, Indian badminton player PV Sindhu won the inaugural BBC ISWOTY Award.

This year's winner will be announced in March, 2021. Fans can cast their votes on any of the BBC's Indian language websites, and BBC Sport.

"'This coveted award aims to honour the finest sportswomen who have continued to influence their sport and change the game during these tumultuous times when the world is affected by the pandemic," Rupa Jha, the head of the BBC's Indian language services, said.

"I look forward to seeing another year of fantastic participation from our growing audiences voting for their favourite sportswoman of the year."

This year's BBC ISWOTY will also feature a "Sports Hackathon" in which multilingual journalism students from across India will collectively create new Wikipedia entries on Indian sportswomen across seven languages - English, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu, aimed at enhancing the presence and representation of Indian sportswomen online.

An Indian sportswoman will also receive a Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as a new Emerging Player Award. Last year, PT Usha was given the Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to Indian sports and inspiring generations of players.

"I am delighted that the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year Award is returning for a second time. It is a brilliant opportunity to celebrate female athletes from across the country, and I'm pleased the BBC is leading the way in recognising their successes," said Tim Davie, the BBC's Director-General.