World Champion Neeraj Chopra will lead a 68-member Athletics Squad at the upcoming Asian Games. The Games will get underway in Hangzhou, China from 23rd September. India will have the largest contingent in the Track and Field Events.
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Apart from Neeraj Chopra, the squad also has big names like Long Jumper Murali Sreeshankar, Commonwealth Games silver medallist Avinash Sable. The Men’s 4x400m team comprising Muhammad Anas Yahiya, Muhammad Ajmal, Rajesh Ramesh and Amoj Jacob will also be in action in the event.
Neeraj Chopra eyes successive gold
Having won the gold medal in the previous edition of the Asian Games, Neeraj Chopra is looking to defend his title. The 25-year old is dominating the Javelin Throw circuit in the world this season. He is topping the Diamond League standings and also created history by becoming the first-ever Indian to in the gold medal in the World Championships much recently.
He will look to carry forward his form in China. However he will be entering the event after featuring in the Diamond League final, that is scheduled a week earlier. Fitness remains a concern for the 25-year old with back-to-back tournaments. In the Javelin Throw, Kishore Jena will partner Neeraj.
Murali Sreeshankar and Avinash Sable meanwhile have decided to opt out of the Diamond League final to focus on the Asian Games. Both the players have won the silver medal at the Commonwealth Games last year in their respective fields. They are the front-runners for a podium finish in this year’s edition of the Asian Games.
Performance in 2018 Asian Games
India won 20 medals in Athletics in the previous edition of the Asian Games. It includes 8 Gold, 9 SIlver and 3 bronze medals. The 66-member Indian contingent will look to improve the tally in the upcoming edition. Apart from Neeraj Chopra, Tejindersingh Pal Toor and Swapna Burman are also looking to defend their gold medal.
Asian Games Athletics Squad
Men
Javelin Throw – Neeraj Chopra, Kishore Jena
Long Jump – Murali Sreeshankar, Jeswin Aldrin
Triple Jump – Praveen Chitravel, Abdulla Aboobacker
High Jump – Sarvesh Anil Kushare, Jesse Sadhesh
Shot Put – Tajinderpal Singh Toor, Sahib Singh
Marathon – Man SIngh, Belliappa Bopaiah
35km Racewalk – Ram Baboo
20km Racewalk – Sandeep Kumar, Akshdeep Singh
10,000m – Karthik Kumar, Gulveer Singh
5000m – Gulveer Singh, Avinash Sable
3000m Steeplechase – Avinash Sable
1500m – Ajay Kumar Saroj, Jinson Johnson
800m – Krishan Kumar, Mohammed Afsal Pulikkalakath
400m – Muhammad Ajmal
200m – Amlan Borgohain
Men’s 4x400m Relay – Muhammad Anas Yahiya, Muhammad Ajmal, Arokia Rajiv, Amoj Jacob Rajesh Ramesh, Arul Ramalingam, Mijo Chacko Kurian
400m Hurdles – Yashas Palaksha, Santhosh Kumar
Decathlon – Tejaswin Shankar
Women
Javelin Throw – Annu Rani
Long Jump – Shaili SIngh, Ancy Sojan
Triple Jump – Sheena Nellickal Varkey
High Jump – Rubina Yadav, Pooja
Pole Vault – Pavithra Vengatesh
Shot Put – Kiran Baliyan, Manpreet Kaur
Hammer Throw – Tanya Chaudhary, Rachna Kumari
Discuss Throw – Seema Punia
20km Racewalk – Priyanka
5000m – Ankita, Parul Chaudhary
3000m Steeplechase – Parul Chaudhary
1500m – Harmilan Bains, Deeksha
800m – Harmilan Bains, KM Chanda
400m – Himanshi Malok, Aishwarya Kailash Mishra
200m – Jyothi Yarraji
400m Hurdles – Vithya Ramraj, Sinchal Kaveramma Ravi
100m Hurdles – Jyothi Yarraji, Nithya Ramraj
Heptathlon – Swapna Barman, Nandhini Agasara
Women’s 4x400m Relay – Soniya Baishya, Florence Barla, Subha Venkatesan, Aishwarya Kailash Mishra, Himanshi Malik, Jisna Mathew
4x400m Mixed Relay – Soniya Baishya, Jisna Mathew, Aishwarya Kailash Mishra, Nihal Joel William, Rahul Baby, Muhammad Anas Yahiya
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