Murali Sreeshankar, Neeraj Chopra headline 18 Indians qualifying for World Athletics Championships

Eighteen Indians, led by star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, have qualified for next month’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo either through direct entry or world rankings, with long jumper Murali Sreeshankar making the cut at the last minute.

But heptathlete Nandini Agasara, who qualified for the September 13-21 showpiece by virtue of being the Asian champion, has told PTI that she is not competing as she has not fully recovered from an elbow injury.

That will bring down the number to 17. Sreeshankar, who missed the 2024 Olympics due to a knee surgery despite qualifying, made it to the list of 36 long jumpers who are to compete in Tokyo, taking the last spot after World Athletics (WA) updated the rankings on Wednesday.

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After returning to action in July, Sreeshankar has won five competitions on the trot with his best being 8.13m while winning gold at the World Athletics Continental Tour bronze-level event in Bhubaneswar on August 10.

He, though, failed to breach the automatic qualification mark of 8.27m. Pooja (women’s 1500m), Sarvesh Anil Kushare (men’s high jump) and Ankita Dhyani (women’s 3000m steeplechase) also made the cut in the latest World Athletics update. The deadline for qualification was August 24 after which the WA updated the list of Road to Tokyo.

How athletes qualify for World Championships?

An athlete can automatically qualify for the World Championships by breaching the qualification mark. The remaining slots required to fill up the total entry number for each event pre-determined by World Athletics will be handed through world ranking quota.

It is now up to the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) to name the team, and its selection committee will meet on Thursday for the purpose.

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WA rules allow the national federations to even leave athletes who make the cut. For example, 20km race walker Akshdeep Singh has been placed at 47th spot out of 50 athletes to compete in Tokyo, but he has not taken the field for the last four months. His last competition was on April 19, and the AFI may also want to know his fitness condition.

Meanwhile, Odisha’s national record holder Animesh Kujur is set to be the first Indian to compete in shorter sprint in the World Championships as he made the cut in 200m.

Just like the 2023 edition in Budapest, Hungary, at least three Indians are likely to compete in the men’s javelin throw event in Tokyo also. The number may increase to four if Rohit Yadav, who won the gold in the National Inter-State Championships in Chennai on Sunday, moves up the ladder in the world ranking quota. He will make the cut if any one of the 36 above him withdraws.

Besides Chopra, who has already received a wild card by virtue of being the defending champion, Sachin Yadav and Yashvir Singh are in the 36-athlete bracket. Chopra had also breached the automatic qualification mark of 85.50m.

An AFI official told PTI that Rohit is certain to qualify for the showpiece event as the fourth Indian men’s javelin thrower. Besides Chopra, only Parul Chaudhary (women’s 3000m steeplechase), Gulveer Singh (men’s 5,000m) and Praveen Chithravel (men’s triple jump) have breached the automatic qualification mark.

Avinash Sable, who has also achieved automatic qualification, has been ruled out of the showpiece due to injury and subsequent surgery. Women’s 100m hurdler Jyothi Yarraji was in contention till she ended her season due to an injury and subsequent surgery.

Qualified athletes (direct and through world rankings):

Neeraj Chopra, Sachin Yadav and Yashvir Singh (men’s javelin), Murali Sreeshankar (men’s long jump), Parul Chaudhary and Ankita Dhyani (women’s 3000m steeplechase), Gulveer Singh (men’s 5,000m), Praveen Chithravel (men’s triple jump), Annu Rani (women’s javelin), Priyanka Goswami (women’s 35km race walk), Animesh Kujur (men’s 200m), Abdulla Aboobacker (men’s triple jump), Servin Sebastian and Akshdeep Singh (both men’s 20km race walk), Ram Baboo (men’s 35km race walk), Pooja (women’s 1500m), Sarvesh Anil Kushare (men’s high jump), Nandini Agasara (women’s hetathlon).