India’s Olympic hopefuls in athletics were revealed on Thursday, with a 28-member team headlined by javelin throw superstar Neeraj Chopra. However, there’s one more spot up for grabs – long jumper Jeswin Aldrin is expected to join the squad soon.
Neeraj Chopra focuses on gold
Neeraj Chopra, the reigning Olympic and world champion in javelin throw, will be aiming for glory again in Paris. He’ll be joined by compatriot Kishore Jena in the event. Notably, Neeraj Chopra himself will skip this weekend’s Diamond League meet in Paris to focus on training.
The rest of the squad features a mix of established names and rising stars. Asian Games champions Avinash Sable (3,000m steeplechase) and Tajinderpal Singh Toor (shot put) will be looking to add Olympic medals to their collection. Sprinter Jyothi Yarraji has the distinction of becoming the first Indian 100m hurdler to compete at the Olympics.
Jeswin Aldrin wait on wings
Long jumper Jeswin Aldrin is expected to be added to the team shortly. This hinges on the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) officially notifying the international governing body about the withdrawal of M Sreeshankar due to injury. Sreeshankar had initially met the qualifying mark but is now out of contention.
Aldrin currently sits just outside the automatic qualification zone, ranked 33rd in the world. With only 32 athletes competing in the men’s long jump event, every spot is crucial. The AFI has until Thursday midnight to inform the international body of any athlete withdrawals, allowing for reallocation of quota places based on world rankings.
Indian Athletic Team Highlights for Paris Olympics
- High jumper Sarvesh Anil Kushare, a recent National Inter-State Championships gold medalist, makes his Olympic debut.
- Abha Khatua creates a surprise by securing a spot in the women’s shot put based on world rankings.
- The men’s 4x400m relay team, known for their upset victory over the USA at the World Championships, will be a team to watch. However, there are concerns about the fitness of Rajesh Ramesh, who hasn’t competed in individual 400m races this season.
- The women’s 4x400m relay team has been selected based on a recent national trial.
The athletics competition at the Paris Olympics will take place from August 1st to 11th. With a strong core and the potential addition of Aldrin, India’s athletics team is poised for a successful showing in Paris.
Indian Athletics Team:
Men – Avinash Sable (3,000m steeplechase), Neeraj Chopra, Kishore Kumar Jena (javelin throw), Tajinderpal Singh Toor (shot put), Praveen Chithravel, Abulla Aboobacker (triple jump), Akshdeep Singh, Vikash Singh, Paramjeet Singh Bisht (20km race walk), Muhammed Anas, Muhammed Ajmal, Amoj Jacob, Santhosh Tamilarasan, Rajesh Ramesh (4x400m relay), Mijo Chacko Kurian (4x400m relay), Suraj Panwar (race walk mixed marathon), Sarvesh Anil Kushare (High Jump).
Women – Kiran Pahal (400m), Parul Chaudhary (3,000m steeplechase and 5,000m), Jyothi Yarraji (100m hurdles), Annu Rani (javelin throw), Abha Khatua (shot put), Jyothika Sri Dandi, Subha Venkatesan, Vithya Ramraj, Poovamma MR (4x400m relay), Prachi (4x400m), Priyanka Goswami (20km race walk/race walk mixed marathon).
