India’s athletics team is gearing up to make a massive impact at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, which are scheduled for July 26th. A total of 28 athletes have secured their spots for the Olympics. And ace javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is leading the squad, as announced by the Athletics Federation of India.
There are high expectations from the athletics side this time around, especially after Neeraj Chopra secured gold for India at the last Tokyo Olympics, significantly boosting the confidence of the Indian athletics fraternity. With 28 promising athletes in the lineup, we can anticipate more additions to India’s medal tally this time.
Speaking about the 28 athletes, they earned their entries either by meeting the Olympic qualifying standards or through world rankings. Parul Chaudhary, who became the sole steeplechase athlete to qualify, achieved her spot by clicking the Olympic mark in the 3000-meter steeplechase at the 2023 World Championships.
On the other hand, Akshdeep Singh, who will represent India in the men’s 20km race walk, qualified through his world ranking. Since we are focusing on these 28 athletes, let’s have a look at their ranking details and see what we can expect from them in this upcoming mega event.
Rankings of Paris bound Indian athletes
| S.no | Athletes | Events | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avinash Sable | (men’s 3000m steeplechase) | 15 |
| 2 | Neeraj Chopra | (men’s javelin throw) | 2 |
| 3 | Kishore Jena | (men’s javelin throw) | 7 |
| 4 | Tajinderpal Singh Toor | (men’s shot put) | 26 |
| 5 | Praveen Chithravel | (men’s triple jump) | 21 |
| 6 | Abdulla Aboobacker | (men’s triple jump) | 18 |
| 7 | Sarvesh Kushare | (men’s high jump) | 24 |
| 8 | Akshdeep Singh | (men’s 20km race walk) | 25 |
| 9 | Vikash Singh | (men’s 20km race walk) | 71 |
| 10 | Paramjeet Singh Bisht | (men’s 20km race walk) | 80 |
| 11 | Muhammed Anas | (men’s 4x400m relay) | 237 |
| 12 | Muhammed Ajmal | (men’s 4x400m relay) | 77 |
| 13 | Amoj Jacob | men’s (4x400m relay) | 396 |
| 14 | Santhosh Kumar Tamilarasan | (men’s 4x400m relay) | 58 |
| 15 | Rajesh Ramesh | (men’s 4x400m relay) | 94 |
| 16 | Mijo Chacko Kurian | (men’s 4x400m relay) | 459 |
| 17 | Suraj Panwar | (race walk mixed marathon) | 69 |
| 18 | Kiran Pahal | (women’s 400m) | 196 |
| 19 | Parul Chaudhary | (women’s 3000m steeplechase and 5,000m) | 15 (3000m SC) 54 (5,000 m) |
| 20 | Jyothi Yarraji | (women’s 100m hurdles) | 22 |
| 21 | Annu Rani | (women’s javelin throw) | 21 |
| 22 | Abha Khatua | (women’s shot put) | 32 |
| 23 | Jyothika Sri Dandi | (women’s 4x400m relay) | 190 |
| 24 | Subha Venkatesan | (women’s 4x400m relay) | 230 |
| 25 | Vithya Ramraj | (women’s 4x400m relay) | 82 |
| 26 | MR Poovamma | (women’s 4x400m relay) | 290 |
| 27 | Prachi | (women’s 4x400m relay) | 423 |
| 28 | Priyanka Goswami | (women’s 20km race walk and race walk mixed marathon) | 30 (20 km race) |
Relay Runners advances despite poor ranking
Looking at the relay runners who are going to represent India at the Olympics, despite their poor ranking, they earned their Olympic ticket. Both men’s and women’s relay racer selections depend on various factors such as trials and coach decisions. For instance, Mohammed Anas, despite having a ranking of 237, was selected. This clearly indicates that ranking is not the only factor considered for selection.
Contenders for Olympic medals from Indian athletes
When it comes to athletics, one contender is Neeraj Chopra, who became the blue-eyed boy after clinching the gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics 2020. Apart from him, we can expect Parul Chaudhary to perform wonders as well, as she is the only Indian woman to participate in steeplechase at the Olympics.
Also, Tejinder Pal Singh Toor, an amazing shot putter, although he has faced challenges during major competitions, but his experience could contribute to India’s first gold medal in the shot put event.
