Animesh Kujur to Head India's 58-Member Team for Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea
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Synopsis
The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has announced a robust 58-member Indian team for the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea, from May 27 to 31. This follows the Federation Cup, where final selections were made. Key athletes include Animesh Kujur, Praveen Chithravel, and Shaili Singh aiming for medals.
Key Takeaways
- 58-member Indian squad announced for Asian Athletics Championships.
- Competition scheduled from May 27 to 31 in Gumi, South Korea.
- Top athletes like Animesh Kujur and Praveen Chithravel are in the team.
- India aims to surpass 27 medals from the last edition.
- Exemptions for elite athletes like Avinash Sable.
New Delhi, April 25 (NationPress) The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) announced a formidable 58-member Indian team for the forthcoming Asian Athletics Championships, set to take place from May 27 to 31 in Gumi, South Korea. This announcement follows the conclusion of the Federation Cup in Kochi, which served as the final selection trial for the continental competition.
Leading the squad are some of India’s premier track and field talents, including triple jumper Praveen Chithravel, long jumper Shaili Singh, and sprinter Animesh Kujur, all of whom are anticipated to spearhead India’s quest for medals. Currently, India ranks third in the all-time medal standings of the Asian Championships, trailing behind China and Japan. The team aims to surpass its previous total of 27 medals, including six golds, achieved in Bangkok in 2023.
The selection process was rigorous, with the AFI mandating that athletes meet qualification benchmarks at the Federation Cup and secure top-two finishes. AFI President Bahadur Singh Sagoo and chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair emphasized the significance of recent performances in the final selection.
Interestingly, sprinters Gurindervir Singh and Manikanta Hoblidar, despite achieving the 100m qualifying standards earlier at the Indian Grand Prix-1, were omitted from individual events due to subpar finishes in Kochi. Nevertheless, both athletes will compete in the 4x100m relay.
Exemptions were granted to elite international competitors like Avinash Sable and Parul Chaudhary, owing to their consistent performances abroad. Sable is set to compete in the 3000m steeplechase, while Parul will participate in both the 3000m and 5000m events.
Sadly, Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra will miss out on representing India due to overlapping commitments, including the Doha Diamond League and the Neeraj Chopra Classic.
The complete team traveling to Gumi is as follows:
Men's Team
200m: Animesh Kujur
800m: Anu Kumar, Krishan Kumar
1500m: Younus Shah
3000m Steeplechase: Avinash Sable
5000m: Gulveer Singh, Abhishek Pal
10,000m: Gulveer Singh, Sawan Barwal
Triple jump: Praveen Chithravel, Abdulla Aboobacker
High jump: Sarvesh Kushare
Shot Put: Samardeep Singh Gill
Javelin throw: Sachin Yadav, Yashvir Singh
Decathlon: Tejaswin Shankar
20km walk: Servin Sebastian, Amit
4x100m: Pranav Pramod, Animesh Kujur, Manikanta Hoblidar, Amlan Borgohain, Tamilarasu, Ragul Kumar, Gurvinder Singh
4x400m: Vishal TK, Jay Kumar, Manu TS, Dharamveer Chaudhary, Rince Joseph, Tushar Kanti, Santosh Kumar, Mohit Kumar
Women's Team
200m: Nithya Gandhe
400m: Rupal Chaudhary, Vithya Ramraj
800m: Twinkle Chaudhary, Pooja
1500m: Lili Das, Pooja
3000m Steeplechase: Parul Chaudhary, Ankita
5000m: Sanjivani Baburao, Parul Chaudhary
10000m: Sanjivani Baburao, Seema
100m hurdles: Jyothi Yarraji
400m hurdles: Vithya Ramraj, Anu R
Long jump: Shaili Singh, Ancy Sojan
Heptathlon: Nandini Agasara
4x100m: Nithya Gandhe, Abhinaya Rajarajan, Sneha S, Srabani Nanda, Daneshwari, V Sudeeksha
4x400m: Rupal, Sneha K, Subha Venkatesan, Jisna Mathew, Kunja Rajitha, Sandramol Sabu
