Punjab’s Harjit Singh emerged as the fastest man at the Indian Athletics Series–9 in Ludhiana, winning the men’s 100m title with a timing of 10.33 seconds.
The performance added another consistent result to what has been a solid sprint season for the 100m specialist.
Season form highlights
Harjit Singh has been in steady form across competitions this year, producing multiple competitive timings:
10.32s – Personal best (legal wind)
10.17s – Wind-assisted (+2.1 m/s)
10.33s – Winner, Indian Series–9
His 10.32s remains his official lifetime best, while the wind-assisted 10.17s run earlier in the season reflected his peak raw speed.
Across events, Harjit has shown consistency in the low-10.3 range, establishing himself as a regular contender in national sprint finals.
His performances have also come in a tightly contested domestic sprint landscape, where margins between podium finishers remain small.
Upcoming challenges
Harjit is expected to feature in upcoming competitions that could see him line up against some of India’s top sprinters, including former training partner and national record holder Gurindervir Singh, as well as Animesh Kujur, the national record holder in the 200m.
World University Games bronze medallist Bhavani Yadav secured the women’s long jump title at the Indian Athletics Series–10 being held at NCOE Trivandrum, producing a best leap of 6.61m with a tailwind of +2.7 m/s.
The mark was the longest jump of the competition and comfortably enough to secure first place. However, because the wind assistance exceeded the permissible limit of +2.0 m/s, the performance will not be eligible for record, ranking, or qualification purposes.
Women’s Long Jump Results
🥇 Bhavani Yadav – 6.61m (+2.7 m/s)
🥈 Mubassina Mohammed – 6.39m (+2.4 m/s)
🥉 Kusuma Ravada – 6.39m (+2.3 m/s)
4️⃣ Abhirami V M – 6.35m (+2.6 m/s)
5️⃣ Pavana Nagaraj – 6.25m (-0.4 m/s)
Bhavani, who won bronze for India at the 2023 World University Games, has consistently been among the country’s leading long jumpers in recent seasons. Her 6.61m effort demonstrated strong form, although the favourable wind conditions mean the jump cannot be considered a legal personal best.
Interestingly, all of the top four finishers recorded their best marks with wind readings above the allowable limit. As a result, Pavana Nagaraj’s 6.25m jump—achieved with a -0.4 m/s headwind—stood as the best legal mark of the competition.
The result also highlighted the depth in Indian women’s long jump, with five athletes clearing 6.25m or farther. The gap between second and fourth place was just four centimetres, reflecting a closely contested competition behind Bhavani’s winning effort.
While the wind conditions prevented the leading marks from counting for qualification or record purposes, the performances provided a useful indication of the athletes’ current form as the domestic athletics season continues.
India’s emerging high jump talents Basant and Ambriesh K cleared the qualification standard for the 2026 World U20 Championships with winning performances at the Indian Athletics Series–10 being held at NCOE Trivandrum.
U20 Asian champion Basant competed in the senior men’s high jump event and secured first place with a clearance of 2.19m, while 18-year-old Ambriesh K won the U20 category with a lifetime best jump of 2.12m.
Results
Senior Men’s High Jump
🥇 Basant – 2.19m
U20 Men’s High Jump
🥇 Ambriesh K – 2.12m (PB)
✅ Both athletes achieved the World U20 qualification standard of 2.12m
Basant, who won the gold medal at the 2026 Asian U20 Athletics Championships, once again demonstrated his consistency by comfortably clearing the qualification mark. Opting to compete in the senior category, he successfully negotiated 2.19m and continued a season that has seen him establish himself as one of India’s most promising jumping prospects.
The 2.19m effort further strengthens his credentials ahead of the World U20 Championships, where he will be among the athletes to watch from the Asian contingent.
The standout breakthrough, however, came from Ambriesh K. The 18-year-old produced the best performance of his young career, clearing 2.12m to set a new personal best and secure qualification for the World U20 Championships.
Ambriesh showed impressive composure throughout the competition, successfully handling increasing heights before achieving the crucial mark that earned him a place on the world stage.
India’s sprint scene witnessed another breakout performance as Harita Bhadra produced a sensational run to win the women’s 200m title at Indian Series–10, clocking a lifetime best of 23.58 seconds. The performance stands as the fastest time by an Indian woman in the 200m this season and currently ranks among the top 12 marks in Asia in 2026.
The 23-year-old sprinter delivered a composed yet explosive race to cap off what has already been a breakthrough year on the national circuit.
Harita’s latest performance is the continuation of a rapidly ascending trajectory across multiple sprint events this year. Earlier in the season, she captured the national indoor 60m title, where she also registered the second-fastest indoor 60m time ever by an Indian woman, underlining her growing reputation as one of India’s most promising short-distance sprinters.
She has also been part of a landmark moment for Indian relay sprinting, featuring in the mixed 4x100m relay team that broke the national record, a performance that also saw the squad outperform the senior national team—an indicator of the depth emerging in Indian sprinting.
Harita’s form has not been limited to the 200m. In her previous outing, she clocked a personal best of 11.55 seconds in the 100m, further highlighting her consistency across sprint distances and her improving speed endurance.
India’s star shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor has declared his intent to chase both the national and Asian records after comfortably clearing the Commonwealth Games 2026 qualification standard at the Indian Athletics Series–9.
Toor clinched the men’s shot put title with a best effort of 20.72m, surpassing the CWG qualification mark of 20.36m and underlining his return to competitive consistency after a challenging phase marked by injuries and form fluctuations.
“I am targeting the National and Asian records,” Toor said after his victory.
Strong comeback after injury struggles
The performance is another encouraging sign in Toor’s comeback journey. In recent seasons, the former Asian record holder had struggled to consistently breach the 21m barrier due to injury setbacks and loss of rhythm.
However, he showed early signs of resurgence earlier this season when he produced a strong throw of 21.03m at Indian Athletics Series–3, indicating a return to near peak condition.
His latest 20.72m effort, while below his personal best, reflects improving stability across competitions as he rebuilds towards top international form.
Toor now has his sights firmly set on the Asian record of 21.80m, currently held by Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Tolo. He also continues to hold India’s national record with a personal best of 21.77m, a mark that previously stood as the Asian record as well.
Given his trajectory, Toor’s focus appears to be shifting from qualification benchmarks to record-level performances once again.
With the Commonwealth Games 2026 qualification standard already secured, Toor’s immediate priority will be consistency at 20.5m–21m range as he builds towards major international competitions.
Two Indian javelin throwers crossed the Commonwealth Games 2026 qualification standard at the ongoing Indian Athletics Series–9, both producing lifetime best performances to finish 1–2 in the competition.
Rohit Yadav won the gold medal with a best throw of 83.76m, while Yashvir took silver with 82.93m. Both marks were new personal bests and comfortably cleared the CWG qualification benchmark.
Final results
Rohit Yadav – 83.76m (PB)
Yashvir – 82.93m (PB)
Double PB performance in qualifying range
The event marked a strong showing from India’s javelin group, with both athletes peaking at the right time in a high-stakes qualification phase. Their throws not only secured podium finishes but also ensured automatic eligibility under CWG 2026 standards.
NC factor adds possible third entry
If Neeraj Chopra successfully meets the CWG 2026 qualification standard in his upcoming competitions following recovery from injury, India could potentially field three javelin throwers at the Commonwealth Games 2026.
Chopra, who has been out of competition since the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo due to a back injury, is expected to return shortly and will also need to achieve the qualifying mark of 82.61m to confirm selection.
NCOE Patiala’s Tanu Chaudhary produced a standout performance at the Indian Athletics Series–10 being held at NCOE Trivandrum, winning the women’s 400m hurdles title with a lifetime best of 59.15 seconds and securing the qualification standard for the 2026 World U20 Championships.
The 17-year-old stopped the clock at 59.15s, achieving two major milestones in the process:
✅ Lifetime Best – 59.15s
✅ World U20 qualification standard achieved
The performance marked an impressive turnaround for Tanu, who endured disappointment in her previous competition. Despite setting a personal best, she narrowly missed the qualification mark for the Asian U20 Championships and was visibly emotional after the race.
At Trivandrum, however, she responded in the best possible manner. Running with confidence and control, Tanu improved her personal best once again and comfortably achieved the World U20 qualification standard.
Her victory was particularly noteworthy given the strength of the performance relative to the rest of the field. Tanu was the youngest athlete in the race, the only competitor to break the one-minute barrier, and recorded the fastest time across all three women’s 400m hurdles finals conducted at the meet.
The result continues a strong season for the young hurdler, who has steadily emerged as one of India’s most promising talents in the event.
For now, the 17-year-old leaves Trivandrum with a national-level title, a new personal best, and a place among India’s qualified athletes for the World U20 Championships.
India’s Olympic and world champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is set to make his return to competitive action within the next 10 days, according to the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). The update was confirmed by AFI spokesperson Adille Sumariwalla, who also added that Chopra has recovered from his back injury and is now in the final phase of rehabilitation.
“Neeraj Chopra has recovered from his back injury. He will be returning to action probably in the next 10 days,” Sumariwalla said.
Chopra has been out of competition since the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where he competed while carrying a back issue. That appearance proved to be a difficult outing, and it ultimately marked the beginning of his extended injury break. Since then, he has not participated in any international event, focusing entirely on recovery and rehabilitation.
The Tokyo World Championships now stand as Chopra’s most recent competitive appearance. At the time, he was already managing a back injury picked up in training, but still chose to compete for India on the global stage. Following the event, his condition required a longer recovery period than initially expected, forcing him to step away from the 2026 season build-up.
His absence has been significant for Indian athletics, as Chopra has been the country’s most consistent global medal contender in track and field over the past several years.
Qualification pressure ahead of Commonwealth Games 2026
While his return is imminent, Chopra still has a key benchmark to meet before securing his place at the Commonwealth Games 2026. According to AFI, he will need to achieve the qualification standard of 82.61m to confirm selection.
Sumariwalla emphasized that despite Chopra’s stature, selection protocols remain unchanged and performance standards must be met.
Given his dominance in recent years—including Olympic gold and multiple global podium finishes—his return is one of the most anticipated developments in international javelin. However, the extended break since the Tokyo Worlds has also raised questions about how quickly he can regain peak competitive rhythm.
If Chopra competes within the next 10 days as planned, it will mark his first appearance in nearly a year since the Tokyo World Championships. The performance will also serve as a key indicator of his readiness ahead of the Commonwealth Games 2026 qualification window, where he must meet the 82.61m mark to officially secure his spot.
For now, India’s athletics fraternity will be watching closely as its biggest star prepares for a long-awaited return to the runway.
Fresh from her gold-medal-winning performance at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships, Pooja added another significant milestone to her season by securing the women’s high jump title at the Indian Athletics Series–10 being held at NCOE Trivandrum.
The young high jumper cleared 1.81m to comfortably achieve the qualification standard for the 2026 World U20 Championships, continuing her impressive run of form on the domestic circuit.
The World U20 qualification mark was Pooja’s primary target heading into the competition, and she achieved it with authority. After successfully clearing 1.81m and securing both the title and the qualification standard, she elected not to attempt further heights.
The result comes just weeks after Pooja emerged as one of India’s standout performers at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships, where she captured the gold medal and established herself among the continent’s leading junior high jumpers.
Tamil Nadu’s Uwin Anand booked his place for the 2026 World U20 Championships after winning the men’s U20 800m title at the Indian Athletics Series–10, being held at NCOE Trivandrum, in impressive fashion.
The youngster clocked a lifetime best of 1:49.93, becoming one of the latest Indian athletes to achieve the qualification standard for the global junior championships.
Results
Uwin Anand – 1:49.93 (PB)
✅ World U20 qualification standard achieved
Uwin executed his race plan to perfection, staying composed through the opening lap before producing a strong finishing burst in the closing stages. Well positioned throughout the race, he conserved energy during the early exchanges and timed his move effectively to pull away from the field over the final 200 metres.
The sub-1:50 performance marks a significant breakthrough for the Tamil Nadu athlete, who has steadily improved over the past few seasons across both middle-distance and sprint events.
Interestingly, Uwin is not exclusively an 800m runner. He also competes regularly in the 400m and owns a personal best of 48.15 seconds in the one-lap event. That speed has become an important asset in his 800m racing, particularly during tactical races where a strong finish can prove decisive.
The combination of 400m speed and growing endurance has allowed him to emerge as one of India’s most promising U20 distances athletes.
