Rising stars in Indian Athletics: A look at next generation of promising players

If we talk about athletics in India, we have recently seen success in the Olympics. Earlier, we used to see some good results only in Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. But now we are also witnessing some success in the Olympics, with two-time medal-winner athletes like Neeraj Chopra, who has given a boost to Indian athletics. Sportspersons like him haven’t become stars overnight; they’ve worked hard at junior levels and in domestic competitions before stepping up to gain global recognition.

Just like him, there are several athletes with the potential to become the next big stars of Indian athletics. Let’s look at some of the names who could potentially make it big on the international circuit.

Jeswin Aldrin (Long Jump)

If you follow athletics regularly, you may have heard of Jeswin Aldrin. He is one of India’s talented long jumpers from Tamil Nadu and has made tremendous progress in athletics. At just 22 years old, he holds the Indian national record in long jump, with a leap of 8.42 metres at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

He became the first Indian to reach the finals in the long jump at this championship. Later in 2023, he also won a silver medal at the Asian Indoor Championships and recently participated in the Paris Olympics qualifiers. If he continues to progress, he might even medal at the 2028 Olympics.

Rohit Yadav (Javelin Throw)

Rohit Yadav is another promising talent in Indian javelin throw who has shown great progress in recent years. As a rising star, he recorded a personal best of 83.4 metres last year. He qualified for the 2023 World Athletics Championships but had to withdraw due to an injury. Currently, he is recovering but is expected to come back stronger and make waves in Indian javelin.

Selva Prabhu (Triple Jump)

Indian triple jumper Selva Prabhu Thirumaran made headlines when he was named the Best Asian Under-20 Male Athlete of the Year by the Asian Athletics Association. Hailing from Madurai, he won a historic silver medal at the World Under-20 Championships in Colombia in 2022, with a best jump of 16.15 metres. He is currently working to secure a spot in the senior squad and is expected to make substantial progress soon.

Barath Sridhar (400m)

Barath Sridhar is a promising Indian sprinter who competes in the 400m. The 20-year-old performed excellently in 2022 and 2021, winning silver and bronze medals in the 4x400m relay, respectively. He is currently recovering from an injury but is expected to return to the track soon.

Priya Mohan (400m)

Priya Mohan is one of India’s talented sprinters in the 400m. The 20-year-old won the 400m title at the Senior National Championships in 2021 and secured a bronze medal in the 4x400m relay at the Under-20 World Athletics Championships in 2021. She missed the Asian Games due to an injury but is back in training and expected to make noteworthy progrees in the coming years.