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Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra is set to spearhead India's charge in the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, from August 19. Notably, the announcement of the 28-member team was made by the Sports Ministry, a task typically reserved for the Athletics Federation of India (AFI).
Addressing the unusual announcement order, the AFI disclosed that a majority of the athletes have already arrived in Hungary to acclimate to the local climate.
Chopra, the reigning Diamond League champion, is targeting a top podium finish, especially after securing a silver in the 2022 edition in Eugene, USA. The javelin star, who clocked wins at Diamond League Meetings in Doha and Lausanne this season, has been training intensively in Magglingen, Switzerland, despite a muscle strain setback that saw him miss three key events.
Highlighting his form, Chopra recorded a season-best throw of 88.67m in Doha. This feat trails only behind Jakub Vadlajch of the Czech Republic and Julian Weber of Germany for the season.
However, it's not all smooth sailing for Team India. Tajinderpal Singh Toor, the Asian record holder in shot put, has withdrawn due to a groin injury incurred at the Asian Championships in July. High jumper Tejaswin Shankar, 800m runner K M Chanda, and 20km race walker Priyanka Goswami have also opted out, choosing to concentrate on the forthcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. An AFI source stated, "Tajinder is recovering from the injury... and the others have decided to focus on the Asian Games."
Tejaswin, who has shifted his focus to decathlon this season, achieved bronze at the National Inter-State Championships and Asian Championships. Furthermore, the AFI harbored hopes for the mixed 4x400m relay team to qualify for the Championships but missed out, being ranked 17th at the qualification deadline.
Other notable names on the Indian roster include long jumper Murali Sreeshankar and 3000m steeplechaser Avinash Sable, both undergoing training in Switzerland. Young talent Shaili Singh is set to depart for Budapest soon, with javelin throwers D P Manu and Kishore Kumar Jena joining the squad shortly.
With a strong line-up, Team India is optimistic about a commendable performance at the global athletics meet.
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