India has finalised its 79-member athletics squad for the upcoming Asian Games 2026, scheduled to be held from September 19 to October 4 across Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

Athletics will have the largest contingent among all sports in India’s Asian Games delegation.

However, there are likely to be some changes to the squad in the coming days. Neeraj Chopra, whose name remains on the men’s javelin throw squad, has already been ruled out of the Asian Games. Yashvir is expected to replace him, with final confirmation likely to come later this week.

Another major development concerns long-distance runner Abhishek Pal, who has been issued a notice by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for an alleged Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV). Pal has requested an early hearing from NADA, and his participation in the Asian Games could depend on the outcome of the proceedings.

The 4x400m relay teams also remain subject to change. Several athletes have been included as potential reserves, with the final relay combinations expected to be announced after September 10, following the Indian Series final at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. Performances at the event are expected to play a role in determining the final teams.

India’s 79-member athletics squad

No. Athlete Event
1 Karanveer Singh Men’s Shot Put
2 Damneet Singh Men’s Hammer Throw
3 Gurindervir Singh Men’s 100m
4 Sreeshankar Men’s Long Jump
5 Mohammed Ashfaq Men’s 4x400m Relay
6 Sawan Barwal Men’s Marathon
7 Praveen Chithravel Men’s Triple Jump
8 Neeraj Chopra Men’s Javelin Throw
9 Dharmveer Choudhary Men’s 4x400m Relay
10 Aadarsh Ram Men’s High Jump
11 Kartik Jayraj Karkera Men’s Marathon
12 Shahnawaz Khan Men’s Long Jump
13 Animesh Kujur Men’s 100m, 200m; Mixed 4x100m Relay
14 Kuldeep Kumar Men’s Pole Vault
15 Krishan Kumar Men’s 800m
16 Jay Kumar Men’s 4x400m Relay; Mixed 4x400m Relay
17 Sarvesh Anil Kushare Men’s High Jump
18 Dev Kumar Meena Men’s Pole Vault
19 Thowfeeq Noushad Men’s Decathlon
20 Abhishek Pal Men’s 5000m, 10,000m
21 Yashas Palaksha Men’s 400m Hurdles
22 Mohammed Afsal Pulikkalakkath Men’s 800m
23 Rajesh Ramesh Men’s 400m; Men’s 4x400m Relay
24 Avinash Mukund Sable Men’s 3000m Steeplechase
25 Yoonus Shah Men’s 1500m
26 Tejaswin Shankar Men’s Decathlon
27 Tejas Ashok Shirse Men’s 110m Hurdles
28 Gulveer Singh Men’s 1500m, 5000m, 10,000m
29 Santosh Kumar Tamilarasan Men’s 400m Hurdles
30 Manu TS Men’s 4x400m Relay; Mixed 4x400m Relay
31 Vishal TK Men’s 400m; Men’s 4x400m Relay
32 Tajinderpal Singh Toor Men’s Shot Put
33 Karthik Unnikrishnan Men’s Triple Jump
34 Rohit Yadav Men’s Javelin Throw
35 Pranav Pramod Gurav Mixed 4x100m Relay
36 Prachi Women’s 400m
37 Tamanna Women’s 4x100m Relay; Mixed 4x100m Relay
38 Seema Women’s 5000m, 10,000m
39 Rashdeep Kaur Women’s 4x400m Relay; Mixed 4x400m Relay
40 Priyanka Women’s Marathon Race Walk
41 Ankita Women’s 3000m Steeplechase
42 Annu Rani Women’s Javelin Throw
43 Seema Women’s Discus Throw
44 Pooja Women’s Heptathlon
45 Pooja Women’s High Jump
46 Manpreet Kaur Women’s Shot Put
47 Pooja Women’s 800m, 1500m
48 Ansa Babu Women’s 4x400m Relay; Mixed 4x400m Relay
49 Supriya B Women’s High Jump
50 Unnathi Aiyappa Women’s 200m
51 Tanya Chaudhary Women’s Hammer Throw
52 Parul Chaudhary Women’s 1500m, 5000m; 3000m Steeplechase
53 Baranica Elangovan Women’s Pole Vault
54 Nithya Gandhe Women’s 4x100m Relay
55 Gowthami Jayaraman Women’s 800m
56 Krishna Jayasankar Menon Women’s Shot Put
57 Nandhini Kongan Women’s 100m Hurdles
58 Anamika K Aneesh Women’s Heptathlon
59 Poovamma Raju Women’s 4x400m Relay
60 Kumari Saloni Women’s 4x400m Relay
61 Srabani Nanda Women’s 4x100m Relay
62 Neeru Pathak Women’s 4x400m Relay
63 Anu Raghavan Women’s 400m Hurdles
64 Abinaya Rajarajan Women’s 4x100m Relay
65 Vithya Ramraj Women’s 400m Hurdles
66 Manju Rani Women’s Marathon Race Walk
67 Sneha SS Women’s 4x100m Relay; Mixed 4x100m Relay
68 Sudeshna Shivankar Women’s 4x100m Relay
69 Shaili Singh Women’s Long Jump
70 Ancy Sojan Women’s Long Jump
71 Niharika Vashisht Women’s Triple Jump
72 Anushka Yadav Women’s Hammer Throw
73 Jyothi Yarraji Women’s 100m Hurdles
74 Praveen Kumar Men’s Hammer Throw
75 Harita Bhadra Women’s 200m
76 Kiran Pahal Women’s 400m
77 Asha Ilango Women’s Triple Jump
78 Sindhushree G Women’s Pole Vault
79 Sanya Yadav Women’s Discus Throw
India 79-member athletics squad for Asian Games 2026

The 21st National Youth Athletics Championships 2026 in Ludhiana produced several impressive performances.

Karnataka’s Nagini, Haryana’s Dheeraj Sahu and Telangana’s Lodenge Ramu claimed titles in closely contested finals.

The championships are being held at Guru Nanak Stadium from September 1 to 3.

Nagini Wins Thrilling 1000m Final

Karnataka’s Nagini clinched the women’s 1000m title after a tight battle at the finish line.

She clocked 2:54.25 to take gold.

Nagini finished just 0.15 seconds ahead of Haryana’s Hunny Malik.

Malik crossed the line in 2:54.40.

Rajasthan’s Deepika completed the podium in 2:54.82.

All three medalists finished within 0.57 seconds of each other.

Dheeraj Sahu Produces Lifetime Best

Haryana’s Dheeraj Sahu delivered one of the standout field-event performances.

He won the men’s discus throw with a lifetime best of 55.85m.

The 16-year-old improved his previous personal best by more than two metres.

Sahu trains at SAI Sonipat.

He produced the winning mark to finish ahead of Haryana teammate Yash, who threw 54.82m.

Swapnil claimed bronze with 54.47m.

The top four athletes all surpassed the 54m mark.

That result highlighted the depth of competition in the event.

The AFI lists the men’s U18 discus automatic qualification standard at 50.50m.

The leading athletes therefore comfortably cleared the benchmark.

Lodenge Ramu Claims 400m Gold with PB

Telangana’s Lodenge Ramu added another strong performance to his Youth Nationals campaign.

He won the men’s 400m title in a lifetime best of 47.21 seconds.

Ramu improved on his previous best to take gold.

Maharashtra’s Manas Shinde finished second in 47.92s.

Kerala’s Ebin KJ secured bronze in 48.05s.

Ramu had already emerged as the fastest athlete across the 400m heats on the opening day.

He clocked 48.19s in the heats.

Nagini, Dheeraj and Ramu delivered three strong title-winning performances.

Their results underlined the emerging talent on display at the Youth Nationals.

Nagini Dheeraj Sahu and Lodenge Ramu win gold at Youth Nationals 2026

Indian athletics saw several promising performances at Indian Athletics Series-15 in Meerut and the 21st National Youth Athletics Championships 2026 in Ludhiana.

Established hurdlers, emerging sprinters and race walkers all made their mark at the two competitions.

Anjali C Delivers in 100m Hurdles

Anjali C continued her consistent run in the women’s 100m hurdles at Indian Athletics Series-15.

She won the event in 13.36 seconds in Meerut.

The performance was particularly encouraging. She finished just 0.01 seconds outside her personal best.

Her latest run adds to a series of strong performances.

It also underlines her status as one of India’s most consistent hurdlers heading into an important season.

With major international competitions ahead, Anjali will look to turn her consistency into further improvements on the clock.

T. Mrithika Emerges as a Sprinter to Watch

At the 21st National Youth Athletics Championships 2026 in Ludhiana, Tamil Nadu’s T. Mrithika delivered a standout performance.

She won the women’s 100m title with a lifetime best of 11.76 seconds.

Mrithika was the only athlete in the final to dip below the 12-second mark.

The performance adds another encouraging chapter to the youngster’s development.

It also puts her firmly among India’s emerging sprint prospects.

Her victory helped Tamil Nadu complete a clean sweep of the youth 100m titles.

Neil Samraj won the men’s event in a record-breaking 10.46 seconds.

Prachi Bishnoi Wins Thrilling Race Walk Finish

The women’s race walk final in Ludhiana produced a dramatic finish.

Haryana’s Prachi Bishnoi held her nerve over the final 20 metres to claim gold.

Prachi stopped the clock at 14:01.53.

She edged Madhya Pradesh’s Ranjana Yadav, who finished in 14:01.79.

The difference was just 0.26 seconds.

That made it one of the closest finishes of the championships.

Together, the performances of Anjali, Mrithika and Prachi highlight the depth of talent emerging across Indian athletics.

Young athletes continue to make their mark on the national stage.

Anjali C T. Mrithika and Prachi Bishnoi shine in Indian athletics 2026

Anushka Yadav continued her impressive rise in Indian athletics at Indian Athletics Series-15 in Meerut.

The 18-year-old Uttar Pradesh thrower won the women’s hammer throw title with a best effort of 64.92m.

Yadav competed for the first time since her record-breaking performance at the Inter-State Athletics Championships.

There, she produced a stunning 67.02m to set a new Indian national record.

Yadav could not replicate that distance in Meerut.

However, her 64.92m throw was enough to secure another title.

The mark also ranks as the second-best throw of her career.

It underlines her growing consistency at the highest level.

Her record-breaking 67.02m effort also secured her qualification for the Asian Games 2026.

The teenager is expected to represent India at the Games.

Harita Bhadra Leads Women’s 200m

In the women’s 200m, Harita Bhadra topped the field.

She clocked 23.36s to claim the title.

Priya Habbathanahally Moha finished second in 24.78s.

Sneh completed the podium with 25.35s.

The complete results were:

🥇 Harita Bhadra 🇮🇳 — 23.36s
🥈 Priya Habbathanahally Moha 🇮🇳 — 24.78s
🥉 Sneh 🇮🇳 — 25.35s
4️⃣ Durga Sen 🇮🇳 — 25.77s
5️⃣ Nishita Neeraj 🇮🇳 — 25.99s
6️⃣ Kumari Dipti 🇮🇳 — 28.00s

The race was run with a -0.8m/s wind.

Yadav continues to build momentum in the hammer throw.

Bhadra, meanwhile, led the 200m field.

Indian Athletics Series-15 once again provided an important platform for India’s emerging and established athletes.

The competition gave them an opportunity to test themselves against each other.

Anushka Yadav wins hammer throw at Indian Athletics Series-15 2026

The 21st National Youth Athletics Championships 2026 in Ludhiana produced several impressive performances.

India’s young athletics stars continued to make their mark across track and field events.

Vishnu Claims Men’s 5000m Racewalk Gold

Uttar Pradesh’s Vishnu won the men’s 5000m racewalk.

He clocked 21:02.81 to secure the gold medal.

Odisha’s Ayushman finished second in 21:17.88.

Delhi’s Aditya completed the podium with 21:35.16.

Men’s 5000m Racewalk Podium:

Oshin Takes Women’s Discus Throw Title

Haryana’s Oshin won the women’s discus throw title.

She produced a winning throw of 45.98m.

Uttar Pradesh’s Dimpy Saini finished second with 43.22m.

Haryana’s Mansi Dangi secured bronze with 43.09m.

The 17-year-old Oshin trains under Virender Dabas at the Jio Institute.

She has also previously trained under Asian Games medallist Seema Antil Punia.

These experiences add an interesting dimension to her development as a young thrower.

T. Mrithika Crowned Fastest Youth Girl

Tamil Nadu enjoyed another memorable moment through T. Mrithika.

She won the women’s 100m title with a personal best of 11.76s.

Mrithika was the only athlete in the final to break the 12-second barrier.

The performance underlined her dominance in the youth sprint.

Her victory also completed a remarkable 100m sprint double for Tamil Nadu.

Earlier, Neil Samraj won the men’s 100m gold in a stunning 10.46s.

He broke India’s U18 national record for the second time on the same day.

With Samraj and Mrithika both taking gold, Tamil Nadu swept the youth 100m titles in Ludhiana.

It marked a standout day for the state’s sprinting programme.

Vishnu Oshin and T. Mrithika shine at National Youth Athletics Championships 2026Vishnu, Oshin and T. Mrithika won gold medals at the National Youth Athletics Championships 2026 in Ludhiana.

Tamil Nadu’s Neil Samraj produced a sensational performance at the 21st National Youth Athletics Championships 2026 in Ludhiana.

He won the men’s 100m gold and broke India’s U18 national record twice on the same day.

Samraj Breaks Record in Semifinal

Samraj first set a new mark in the semifinals.

He clocked 10.53s.

But he was not done yet.

In the final, the Tamil Nadu sprinter raised the bar even higher.

He stormed to victory in 10.46s and broke the U18 national record for the second time in a matter of hours.

The 10.46s performance also makes Samraj the fastest Indian youth over 100m.

The result underlines his emergence as one of the country’s most exciting young sprint prospects.

Samraj Wanted More

Samraj’s reaction after the race made the performance even more interesting.

Despite winning the national title and setting another record, the youngster was not completely satisfied with his time.

His target was to break the 10.40-second barrier.

Samraj also made it clear that he believes he can achieve that mark later this season.

His confidence adds another layer to what was already a remarkable day in Ludhiana.

He improved from 10.53s in the semifinal to 10.46s in the final.

Samraj also showed his ability to deliver when it mattered most.

A Remarkable Day in Ludhiana

The performance could prove to be an important milestone in his development.

Indian athletics continues to build depth in the sprint events.

For now, Neil Samraj leaves the Youth Nationals with gold, two U18 national records in one day, and the fastest 100m time ever recorded by an Indian youth.

And if his own words are anything to go by, 10.40s may only be the next target.

Neil Samraj breaks U18 100m national record with 10.46s

The official athlete list for the 2026 Asian Games has been published on the Games’ website.

The list provides a clearer picture of India’s representation at the upcoming continental event in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

A total of 511 Indian athletes feature on the list across various sports.

The Games are scheduled to take place from September 19 to October 4, 2026.

Indian Athletes Listed in Athletics

Several Indian athletics names feature on the official list.

They include Sindhushree, Harita, Asha, Kartik Karkera, Sawan Barwal, Praveen Kumar and Sanya Yadav.

One name that stands out is Neeraj Chopra.

Chopra remains on the official athlete list despite recent developments surrounding his 2026 season.

His name is still shown as part of India’s Asian Games contingent at this stage.

Yashvir Still Missing

At the same time, Yashvir is notably missing from the list.

This adds another point of interest for Indian athletics fans.

The final composition of the contingent is still taking shape.

The athletics entries are particularly significant for India.

The sport is expected to remain one of the country’s major medal-winning disciplines at the Asian Games.

India’s Athletics Record at Hangzhou 2023

India enjoyed a record-breaking athletics campaign at the previous edition in Hangzhou in 2023.

The Indian athletics team won 29 medals, including six golds.

The team will now look to build on that performance in Aichi-Nagoya.

The official athlete list provides the latest snapshot of India’s participation.

However, changes could still be made before the Games begin.

The official website : Asian Games

Asian Games 2026 official athlete list with 511 Indian athletes

The next generation of Indian athletics impressed on the opening day of the 21st National Youth Athletics Championships 2026 in Ludhiana.

Lakshita, Lodenge Ramu and Sanket Swami emerged as the fastest athletes in their respective heats.

Lakshita Leads Women’s 400m

Haryana’s Lakshita recorded the fastest time across all five women’s 400m heats.

She clocked 55.92s. She was also the only athlete to break 56 seconds in the heats.

India’s World U20 finalists Bhoomika Nehate and Tanu Chaudhary followed her.

Nehate clocked 56.09s, while Chaudhary recorded 56.46s.

Both athletes were part of India’s women’s 4x400m relay team.

The team reached the final at the recently concluded World Athletics U20 Championships.

The women’s 400m semifinals will start at 16:45 IST.

Lodenge Ramu Leads Men’s 400m

16-year-old Lodenge Ramu topped all four men’s 400m heats.

He clocked 48.19s.

Ramu owns a lifetime best of 47.56s from earlier this season.

He finished ahead of Ebin KJ, who clocked 48.65s.

Anuj Kumar followed with 48.67s.

The men’s 400m semifinals will start at 17:00 IST.

Ramu will be among the athletes looking to reach the final.

Sanket Swami Fastest in Men’s 100m

Haryana’s Sanket Swami also made an impressive start in the men’s 100m.

He clocked 10.85s, the fastest time across all five heats.

Mehebubul Ahamed was second-fastest with 10.89s.

Divraj Singh followed closely with 10.90s.

The men’s 100m semifinals and final will take place this evening.

The races will decide India’s fastest youth sprinter.

The National Youth Championships have already produced strong performances.

Three sprint events have delivered impressive results in the heats.

The performances offer an early glimpse of India’s young athletics talent.

These athletes will look to make their mark in Indian athletics.

Lakshita Lodenge Ramu Sanket Swami National Youth Athletics Championships 2026 heats

Guru Nanak Stadium in Ludhiana, Punjab, will host the 21st National Youth Athletics Championships 2026, a three-day competition that will also serve as the upcoming Youth Olympics 2026.

Around 650 athletes will participate across 36 events, with 18 events each for men and women.

Although the Athletics Federation of India has not announced any qualification standards, the federation may select the top 2 athletes from each event based on the best results.

A Stepping Stone for Indian Athletics

The 21st National Youth Athletics Championships 2026 will be a stepping stone for Indian athletics, providing an opportunity to see the new stars who could feature more often in the future.

Among the events, the 100m and 200m have received the most entries across both categories.

One of the events that stands out is the women’s javelin throw, which has received around 30 entries. The strong participation looks promising when considering the future of Indian athletics.

Complete Event-Wise Bib List

The complete event-wise bib list for the 21st National Youth Athletics Championships 2026 is available below.

Complete Event-Wise Bib List

21st National Youth Athletics Championships 2026 at Guru Nanak Stadium Ludhiana

By Sushant Singh

The final leg of the Indian Series before the Indian Series Final is scheduled to take place on 2 September at the newly built Kailash Prakash Sports Stadium, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.

The meet will be the first national-level tournament at Meerut’s first synthetic track. The city is known to have produced the most medals in athletics at the Asian level.

The Indian Series-15 has received a bumper entry, with the single-day meet featuring 24 events — 12 for men and 12 for women — and more than 600 entries.

The Men’s 100m has received the biggest entry, with around 70 athletes, followed by the Men’s 1,500m with around 65 athletes and the Men’s 400m with around 63 athletes. Together, these three events account for a significant portion of the total entries.

Athletes to Look Out For

1. Rupal Chaudhary

Asian Athletics 2025 400m silver medallist Rupal Chaudhary will finally begin her 2026 season at Indian Series-15 on 2 September in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.

The 22-year-old has been out of competition since 2025 due to injury and is now set to make her long-awaited comeback.

Rupal has been training at the NCOE Trivandrum.

Sources in AFI indicate that her performance in Meerut could determine whether she gets an opportunity to compete at the Indian Series Final.

Her timings in both competitions could also put her in contention for a place in India’s women’s 4×400m relay squad for the Asian Games 2026.

2. Mijo Chacko Kurian

The 2023 Budapest World Championships relay team member will also compete in both the 200m and 400m, representing the Indian Air Force.

Chacko has clocked a season-best time of 46.15s this season, which is close to his PB of 46.10s. His SB places him 9th on the current 2026 Men’s 400m list.

The Men’s 4×400m relay team has yet to be announced officially. He will be looking to make the Top 6 this season, although he will likely need to clock a sub-46-second performance to achieve that.

3. Rishabh Nehra

The 80m javelin thrower will also be competing at this meet.

Nehra, who has been struggling with his form this season, has only managed 65.67m and has competed in just one competition.

Last season at the Open Nationals, he clinched the gold medal with a massive PB of 80.12m, joining the elite 80m club. But since then, he has failed to breach the 80m mark.

Nehra, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, will be looking to regain some of his form in his home state.

4. Harita Bhadra

The Reliance sprinter breached the 200m Asian Games standard at the Interstate Championships, registering a huge lifetime best of 23.14s in the women’s 200m.

She will be competing in the 100m at this event.

This season, she has already clocked PBs in both the 100m and 200m. It has been a very interesting season for the 23-year-old.

5. Aishwarya B

Returning after her doping ban, Aishwarya will be competing in the women’s triple jump at this meet.

This will be her third competition since her return. She made her comeback at Indian Series-13, registering a 5.63m mark to finish sixth.

In her last competition, she breached the 6m mark, registering a 6.01m jump to finish third.