Reigning world champion Neeraj Chopra will spearhead India’s 19-member contingent for the World Athletics Championships 2025 in Tokyo next month, with rising sprinter Animesh Kujur making history as the first Indian male sprinter to make the cut.
The contingent comprises 13 men and six women.
As defending champion, Neeraj Chopra booked his place through a wild card entry. He will be joined in the men’s javelin throw by Sachin Yadav and Yashvir Singh, both securing berths via the world rankings.
India also gained direct qualifiers through entry standards – Avinash Sable (3000m steeplechase), Parul Chaudhary (3000m steeplechase), Gulveer Singh (5000m) and Praveen Chitravel (triple jump). However, Sable has been ruled out of the World Athletics Championships after an injury cut short his season.
Thirteen others made the cut through the rankings, including long jumper Murali Sreeshankar, who returned impressively after a year-long injury layoff, and javelin thrower Annu Rani, whose consistent 60m-plus efforts have underlined her form this season.
Sreeshankar, in fact, won each of the five competitions he entered this season. Annu, meanwhile, managed to breach the 60m mark for the first time in over a year in Poland earlier this month before winning the competition with a 62.59m throw – her best mark in over two years.
AloJapan.com