A knee injury has ruled out Commonwealth silver-medallist Rishikanta Singh from the upcoming Asian Games 2026, dealing a significant blow to India’s weightlifting campaign. The 60kg contender from Manipur originally suffered the injury right before claiming silver at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in July. Following a recent medical evaluation, the Indian Weightlifting Federation confirmed he will require a month of targeted rehabilitation, effectively ruling him out of competition.
Setbacks mount for India ahead of Asian Games 2026
With Rishikanta—the single male lifter initially selected, forced to withdraw, India will now be represented exclusively by a four-woman squad. The remaining team features Tokyo Olympic silver-medallist Mirabai Chanu (49kg), Gyaneshwari Yadav (53kg), Nirupama Devi (61kg), and Harjinder Kaur (69kg).
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The setback comes alongside major cuts to the track and field roster. Following a virtual selection committee meeting on Friday—held on the heels of the confirmatory Indian Athletics Series Final at New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) reduced its squad to 74 members. The late roster adjustments saw former Asian Games javelin champion Annu Rani, long jumper Shahnavaz Khan, and sprinter Nithya Gandhe all dropped from the final lineup.
Rishikanta injured; Annu Rani, Shahnavaz & Nithya dropped
Explaining the decision to drop Annu Rani, AFI selection committee chairman Adille Sumariwalla noted that the javelin thrower fell just short of the 57.62m entry standard, recording a season-best 57.50m in the final trial. Medical issues similarly disrupted long jumper Shahnavaz Khan, a World U20 bronze medallist who reached 8.30m in June—limiting him to a 7.43m sixth-place performance. Meanwhile, sprinter Nithya Gandhe missed out after placing ninth in the 100m (11.93s). Trial winner Harita Bhadra, who posted a swift 11.22s, is currently in line to take Gandhe’s spot on the women’s 4x100m relay team, pending official organizer approval.
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With the roster finalized, the remaining 74 track and field competitors will travel to Japan on Saturday to begin an acclimatization camp at the University of Tsukuba, ahead of their move to Aichi-Nagoya on September 21.
Several key updates shaped the final lineup:
Fit to Compete: Medical clearance was granted to triple jumper Praveen Chithravel, high jumper Sarvesh Kushare, 100m hurdler Jyothi Yarraji, and 400m hurdler Yashas Palaksha, allowing the national record holders to travel despite missing final trials.
Ineligible Record-Breaker: Hammer thrower Nirbhay Chaudhary missed selection despite setting a national record of 71.02m (surpassing the 69.12m target), as his season opened in August, past the initial entry deadline. Expanded Double-Event Push: The AFI is pursuing clearance from games organizers to allow dual-medallist Avinash Sable to add the 5000m to his core event, the 3000m steeplechase.