AFI names 95-member squad for inaugural BIMSTEC U23 Athletics Meet in Bhubaneswar
Synopsis
India is sending its strongest possible under-23 track and field squad — all 95 athletes — to the inaugural BIMSTEC U23 Athletics Meet in Bhubaneswar. Leading the charge is Neil Samraj R, who just set a national U18 record at the National Junior Championships, and women's sprinter Abinaya Rajarajan. For a generation of young Indian athletes, this is their first taste of international competition on home soil.
Key Takeaways
The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has named a 95-member squad for the inaugural BIMSTEC U23 Athletics Meet .
The meet will be held at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar from 25 to 27 November 2026 .
Sprinter Neil Samraj R (Tamil Nadu), fresh off a national U18 record at the 41st National Junior Athletics Championships, will compete in the 100m, 200m , and 4x100m relay .
Women's sprinter Abinaya Rajarajan is the headline name in the women's section.
More than 400 athletes from seven BIMSTEC nations — including Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Thailand — are expected to compete.
The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has named a 95-member national track and field squad for the inaugural BIMSTEC U23 Athletics Meet, a seven-nation competition scheduled at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha from 25 to 27 November 2026. The selection underscores India's intent to establish early regional dominance in the under-23 athletics circuit.
Headline Names to Watch
Neil Samraj R, the Tamil Nadu sprinter who swept the 100m and 200m gold medals at the 41st National Junior Athletics Championships in Chennai — setting a national U18 record in the process — headlines the men's section. He will compete in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay at the Bhubaneswar meet. On the women's side, sprinter Abinaya Rajarajan is the standout name, featuring in the 100m and the 4x100m relay squad.
Scale of the Competition
More than 400 athletes from seven nations are expected to compete across the three-day event. Alongside India, the participating countries are Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Thailand. As the inaugural edition of the meet, the competition represents a new multi-lateral athletics platform within the BIMSTEC framework — a region that collectively represents over 1.7 billion people.
Full Indian Squad
Men's events:
100m: Rushiprasad Desai, Chiranth P (reserve)
100m/200m: Neil Samraj R
200m: Yuvraj E, Nayan Shah (reserve)
400m: Sahil Malik, Ankul, Astik Pradhan (reserve)
800m: Akashdeep Singh, Shyam Milan Bind, Naresh Gurjar (reserve)
1500m: Rahul Sarnaliya, Hitesh, Sohit Virender (reserve)
5,000m: Gaurav Bhaskar Bhosale, Satyam, Ramikesh (reserve)
100m hurdles: Shaik Roshan, Sandeep Vinodkumar Gond, Rithik Rahul M (reserve)
400m hurdles: Karna Bag, Aryan Prajwal Kashyapa, Vignesh B (reserve)
High jump: Ambriesh K, Binoy B, Aaditya Raghuvanshi (reserve)
Long jump: C Tharun Vikash, Jithin RC, R Chitaranjan (reserve)
Triple jump: Daksh Bishnoi, Yuvaraj K, Pradeep Kumar (reserve)
Shot put: Anurag Singh Kaler, Atul, Vishwa A (reserve)
Discus throw: Bhartpreet Singh, Vaibhav, Ravi (reserve)
Javelin throw: Dharanidharan T, Shashank Patil, Aditya (reserve)
4x100m relay: Rushiprasad Desai, Neil Samraj R, Chiranth P, Savin Thingalaya, Abhay Singh, Kshitij Changire
4x400m relay: Sahil Malik, Ankul, Astik Pradhan, Setu Mishra, Lodenge Ramu, Nikhil Suhas Dhake
Women's events:
100m: Abinaya Rajarajan, Kajal Vaja, Unnathi Bollanda (reserve)
200m: Bhavana G, Sonika, Samriti Jamwal (reserve)
400m: Tanu Chaudhary, Ayesha Khanam, Pravalika Narimalla (reserve)
800m: Prateeksha Yadav, Laxmipriya Kisan, Harshika (reserve)
1500m: Prachi Devkar, Rashi, Laxita Vinod Sandilea (reserve)
5,000m: Sonam Parmar, Sunita Devi, Vartika Patel (reserve)
100m hurdles: Sabita Toppo, Shiny Gladssia, Sriteja Tholem (reserve)
400m hurdles: Priyanka Madivalappa Olekar, Sonam, Aswini R (reserve)
High jump: Juin Mantusa, Mohur Mukerjee, Mahek Nasrin Dayan Khan (reserve)
Long jump: Sheeba D, Munmun Chetia, Prathiksha Yamuna A (reserve)
Triple jump: Sadhana Ravi, Marymukta Soreng, Varshitha C (reserve)
Shot put: Anshu, Riya Verma, Munesh (reserve)
Discus throw: Priya, Nikita Kumari, Amanat Kamboj (reserve)
Javelin throw: Poonam, Deepika, Jyoti (reserve)
4x100m relay: Abinaya Rajarajan, Kajal Vaja, Unnathi Bollanda, Kiruthika, V Sudheeksha, Mrithika
4x400m relay: Tanu Chaudhary, Ayesha Khanam, Pravalika Narimalla, Tahura Khatun, Anchal Rani, Tamanna
Significance for Indian Athletics
The BIMSTEC U23 meet offers a critical competitive platform for India's next generation of track and field athletes ahead of more prestigious continental events. For athletes like Neil Samraj R, who is fresh off a national U18 record, the exposure to international competition at this stage could prove pivotal in their development pipeline. The AFI's decision to field a full-strength contingent of 95 athletes signals that it views the inaugural edition as a tone-setting opportunity for India's regional athletics standing.
The three-day meet at Kalinga Stadium — a venue with a strong athletics heritage — begins on 25 November 2026.
Point of View
If it gains traction, could become a valuable annual proving ground for India's U23 pipeline, sitting between domestic nationals and the larger Asian Athletics Championship. Neil Samraj R's presence is the most telling detail: a teenager who just broke a national U18 record is being fast-tracked into international competition, suggesting AFI is consciously compressing the development curve for its top sprinting prospects. Whether the meet produces meaningful results or just medals against weaker fields will depend on how competitive the other six nations prove to be.
NationPress
4 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the BIMSTEC U23 Athletics Meet?
The BIMSTEC U23 Athletics Meet is a track and field competition for under-23 athletes from the seven BIMSTEC member nations — India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Thailand. The 2026 edition at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar is the inaugural edition of the meet.
When and where is the BIMSTEC U23 Athletics Meet being held?
The meet is scheduled from 25 to 27 November 2026 at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. More than 400 athletes are expected to participate across the three-day event.
Who is Neil Samraj R and why is he a name to watch?
Neil Samraj R is a Tamil Nadu sprinter who won the 100m and 200m gold medals at the 41st National Junior Athletics Championships in Chennai, setting a national U18 record. At the BIMSTEC U23 meet, he will compete in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay for India.
How large is India's squad for the BIMSTEC U23 Athletics Meet?
India will field a 95-member track and field squad, covering all standard track, field, and relay events. The squad was selected by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI).
Which nations are participating in the BIMSTEC U23 Athletics Meet?
Seven nations are competing: India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Thailand — all members of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).
