By Sushant Singh

The provisional squad for India’s Athletics Team for the Asian Games 2026 is out, with around 70 athletes included in the camp list.

It should be noted that this is not the final squad, but it does give a clear indication of what the final team could look like.

Here is our analysis of the provisional squad:

AFI’s selection guidelines had clearly stated that the Interstate Championships would act as the final trials for all athletes, and the federation had already announced the qualification standards for the Asian Games 2026.

Keeping that in mind, some athletes have been included despite not having achieved the qualification standard or not having finished in the top two of the qualification process.

NNIS Sports has learned that these athletes were included after the federation requested SAI to consider their names, with the hope that they will achieve the qualification standard in upcoming competitions before the Asian Games.

In the relay events, the Men’s 4x400m, Women’s 4x400m and Mixed 4x400m relays have been included. In the 4x100m relays, only the Women’s and Mixed relays have been included, leaving out the Men’s 4x100m Relay. NNIS Sports had earlier broken the news that the federation had decided to skip the Men’s 4x100m Relay at the Asian Games due to multiple injuries in the squad.

India’s Men’s 4x400m Relay Squad

Based on their season performances, this appears to be the strongest possible squad the federation could have fielded for the Men’s 4x400m Relay. India’s U20 National Record holder Mohammed Ashfaq has also been included in the squad.

For the Mixed 4x100m Relay, India’s two fastest men of all time, Gurindervir Singh and Animesh Kujur, have been selected. Gurindervir has also been named for the 100m individual event, while Animesh Kujur has been included in both the 100m and 200m individual events. Along with them, Harita Bhadra and Unnathi Bollanda have been named for the Mixed 4x100m Relay, while also being included in the 200m individual event.

The biggest surprise came with the inclusion of Tajinderpal Singh Toor instead of Samardeep, who had finished second at the final trials during the Interstate Championships 2026, ahead of Toor. Despite that performance, Samardeep failed to make the provisional list.

Annu Rani has also been included in the squad despite failing to achieve the qualification standard at the Interstate Championships. The reigning Asian Games champion has endured a difficult season and is yet to cross the 60m mark, with her season best being 56.74m, achieved at the Interstate Championships in Kalinga Stadium. The qualification standard was 57.62m. Her inclusion appears to have been influenced by her reputation as the defending Asian Games champion and the federation’s expectation that she could regain form before the Games.

Avinash Sable has been included after being out for a long period due to injury.

No male race walkers or male marathoners have been included, while Priyanka and Manju Rani have been selected in the women’s race walk / marathon category.

Tanya Chaudhary, who missed the qualification standard by just 2cm at the Interstate Championships, has been given an opportunity, along with Anushka Yadav, who shattered the Indian Women’s Hammer Throw National Record with a throw of 67.02m.

Tejas Shirse has also been named in the squad, although he is reportedly injured and may miss the Games. Apart from him, no other athlete has been selected in the event, including Manav R, who narrowly missed the qualification standard at the Interstate Championships by just 0.03 seconds.

By Sushant Singh

A 72-member athletics squad has been finalized to represent India at the upcoming Asian Games 2026.

Although this is the final squad, some athletes have been included based on their performances despite not having achieved the qualification standard or having finished third in the qualification process.

The federation has requested the inclusion of their names with the hope that they will achieve the qualification standard in upcoming competitions before the Asian Games.

Here is India’s 72-member Athletics squad for the Asian Games 2026:

Throws

  1. Karanveer – Shot Put
  2. Tajinderpal Singh Toor – Shot Put
  3. Manpreet Kaur – Shot Put
  4. Krishna Jayashankar – Shot Put
  5. Rohit Yadav – Javelin
  6. Neeraj Chopra – javelin
  7. Annu Rani – Javelin
  8. Damneet Singh – Hammer Throw
  9. Parveen Kumar – Hammer Throw
  10. Anushka Yadav – Hammer Throw
  11. Tanya Choudhary – Hammer Throw
  12. Seema – Discus Throw
  13. Sanya Yadav – Discus Throw

Middle & Long Distance

  1. Mohd. Afsal – 800m
  2. Krishan Kumar – 800m
  3. Gowthami Jayaraman – 800m
  4. Parul Chaudhary – 1500/3000m SC/5000m
  5. Gulveer Singh – 5000/10,000m
  6. Avinash Sable – 3000m SC

Jumps

  1. Sarvesh Kushare – High Jump
  2. Aadarsh Ram – High Jump
  3. Pooja – High Jump
  4. Supriya B – High Jump
  5. Murali Sreeshankar – Long Jump
  6. Shahnavaz Khan – Long Jump
  7. Ancy Sojan – Long Jump
  8. Shaili Singh – Long Jump
  9. Praveen Chithravel – Triple Jump
  10. Kartik Unnikrishnan – Triple Jump
  11. I.Asha Ilango – Triple Jump
  12. Niharika Vashist – Triple Jump
  13. Dev Meena – Pole Vault
  14. Kuldeep Yadav – Pole Vault
  15. Sindhushree G – Pole Vault
  16. Baranica Elangovan – Pole Vault

Hurdles

  1. Tejas Shirse – 110m Hurdles
  2. Jyothi Yarraji – 100m Hurdles
  3. Nandhini K – 100m Hurdles
  4. Yashas P – 400m H
  5. Santhosh T – 400m H
  6. Vithya Ramraj – 400m H/4x400m Relay
  7. Anu R – 400m H

Race Walk

  1. Manju Rani – Racewalk Marathon
  2. Priyanka Goswami – Racewalk Marathon

Combined Events

  1. Thowfeeq N – Decathlon
  2. Tejaswin Shankar – Decathlon
  3. Pooja – Heptathlon
  4. Anamika K – Heptathlon

Sprints & Relays

  1. Gurindervir Singh – 100/4x100m Mixed Relay
  2. Animesh Kujur – 100/200/4x100m Mixed Relay
  3. Harita Bhadra – 200m/4x100m Mixed
  4. Unnathi Bollanda – 200m/4x100m Mixed

Men’s 400m / 4x400m Relay

  1. Vishal TK – 400m/4x400m Relay
  2. Rajesh Ramesh – 400m/4x400m Relay
  3. Manu TS – 4x400m Relay/4x400m Mixed Relay
  4. Dharamveer Chaudhary – 4x400m Relay
  5. Jay Kumar – 4x400m Relay/4x400m Mixed Relay
  6. Mohammed Ashfaq – 4x400m Relay

Women’s 400m / 4x400m Relay

  1. Prachi – 400m/4x400m Relay
  2. Kiran Pahal – 400m/4x400m Relay
  3. Neeru Pathak – 4x400m Relay
  4. Rashdeep Kaur – 4x400m Relay/ Mixed 4x400m Relay
  5. Ansa babu – 4x400m Relay/Mixed 4x400m Relay
  6. Poovamma – 4x400m Relay
  7. Saloni Nagar – 4x400m Relay

4x100m Relay / Mixed 4x100m Relay

  1. Pranav Gurav – 4x100m Mixed
  2. Sneha SS – 4x100m Relay/ Mixed 4x100m Relay
  3. Tamanna – 4x100m Relay/ Mixed 4x100m Relay
  4. Sudeshna Shivankar – 4x100m Relay
  5. Nithya Gandhe – 4x100m Relay
  6. Srabani Nanda – 4x100m Relay
  7. Abinaya Rajarajan – 4x100m Relay

    Please note that this is not the final list; additional names are expected to be added later.

    The current athletics squad is expected to be expanded further, with two marathon runners likely to be added to the contingent:

    Kartik Karkera

    Sawan Barwal

    The following middle-distance runners are also expected to be included, among others:

    Ankita Dhyani – 3000m Steeplechase

    Pooja – 800m

    Yoonus Shah – 1500m

Nothing succeeds quite like success. For decades, Indian track and field operated in a vacuum of near misses, where global medals were treated as rare anomalies rather than achievable targets. But around the world, sports operates on visual evidence. When Neeraj Chopra launched a javelin into the Tokyo sky, and when Sarvesh Kushare began consistently hitting elite heights on the world stage, it transcended medals, headlines, or top six finishes—they fundamentally altered how we view and feel sport.

Javelin and high jump have suddenly emerged as India’s unexpected dual engines on the international circuit. Success at the top creates a blueprint; major medals provide a concrete reason for a younger generation to seek out glory. When elder torchbearers carve out a path, the downstream effect naturally manifests in the junior ranks.

That inspiration was fully on display at the World Athletics U-20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon. While the nation’s sporting conversation often remains fixated on the glitz, cash rewards, and grand felicitations flowing toward major senior medallists, India’s track and field teenagers quietly matched their best-ever tally at the marquee junior event, capturing three medals under the radar.

Leading that charge was 19-year-old Basant Kumar Meghwal, who secured India’s first-ever high jump silver at the World U-20 level. The reigning Asian U-20 champion came agonizingly close to gold, clearing a personal-best 2.21 metres—the exact height achieved by Algeria’s Younes Ayachi. Basant missed out on the top step of the podium strictly via countback, having taken one additional attempt during the competition; a heartbreak reminiscent of Sarvesh Kushare’s experiences.

“It’s a bittersweet feeling,” Basant reflected from Eugene. “Equalling my personal best and becoming the first Indian high jumper to land a World U-20 medal is deeply special. But losing gold strictly on a countback—knowing it came down to just one extra attempt—definitely stings.”

Basant’s journey underscores the changing reality of Indian athletics. Hailing from 12B (yes, that is his actual village name), a remote agricultural settlement situated near the India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan, his initiation into the sport was entirely rudimentary. He first observed high jump as a primary school student watching seniors leap over an improvised pit.

“I was fascinated by the idea of jumping over a bar,” Basant recalled. “I asked our physical education teacher if I could try. We had no real infrastructure then—just bamboo sticks for a crossbar and bare dirt for landing.”

Driven by a growing obsession, Basant turned to YouTube to teach himself the mechanics of the sport, graduating from the rudimentary scissor technique to the Fosbury Flop. Realizing the danger of landing head-first without high-density polyurethane crash mats, he improvised by stacking household bed mattresses to cushion his falls.

His self-taught era ended after consistent age-group success earned him a spot at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Bengaluru under former national record holder Sahana Kumari.

“He possessed the ideal raw physical framework—tall, lean, and naturally aggressive at the bar,” Sahana noted. “However, because he lacked formal coaching in his early years, we had to systematically rebuild his training methodology.”

The structured regimen yielded rapid gains, culminating in a breakout 2.21m leap at the National U-20 Championships in Tumakuru, which secured his international qualification.

Of course, Basant’s journey began well before Kushare’s recent senior breakthroughs. Yet, seeing senior athletes contend at the highest level provides the vital push required to deliver when standing on the World U-20 stage.

“I know there is a long way to go,” Basant admitted. “Competing against top seniors like Sarvesh bhaiya will only force me to elevate my game.”

Kenya has officially submitted a bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, taking a major step toward making history as the first African nation to stage track and field’s flagship event.

Nairobi faces competition from heavyweight European candidate cities, including London, Rome, and Munich. World Athletics is expected to announce the winning host city next month.

Government Backing and Infrastructure

Athletics Kenya emphasized that its “robust” proposal carries full government guarantees.

“The government has committed its full support to the bid, ensuring the necessary organizational framework, security measures, and modern infrastructure required to host a world-class global showpiece,” Athletics Kenya stated in an official release.

The 48,000-capacity Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi is slating to serve as the centerpiece venue for the competition.

A Global Powerhouse Seeking Home Advantage

Kenya’s pedigree on the global track is unquestioned. The East African nation boasts an extraordinary record in middle- and long-distance running, holding 72 World Championship gold medals and 38 Olympic gold medals. Kenyan distance runners currently hold 17 world records across track and road events, including both the men’s and women’s marathons.

At the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Kenya reinforced its elite status by placing second overall in the medal table, capturing 11 total podium finishes, including seven gold medals.

Expanding Africa’s Hosting Footprint

While Kenya previously missed out on hosting rights for the 2025 World Championships, the nation has steadily built a strong resume for international sporting events:

A successful bid for 2029 would cap a transformative decade for East African sports diplomacy. Kenya is already gearing up to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) alongside neighboring Tanzania and Uganda. Meanwhile, momentum across the continent continues to build, following Botswana’s historic staging of the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone earlier this year.

World Athletics’ upcoming decision will determine whether the sport’s marquee event finally lands on African soil for the first time in its 46-year history.

 

Nadia Battocletti reclaimed the European women’s 5000m title in dominant fashion, winning gold at the European Championships in Birmingham with a time of 15:37.84.

The Italian distance star returned to the top of the European podium in her specialist event, delivering a controlled performance to secure the continental crown.

Battocletti was joined on the podium by compatriot Micol Majori, who produced an impressive run to claim the bronze medal in 15:40.65.

Spain’s Marta García split the two Italians, taking the silver medal with a season’s best of 15:39.98.

Women’s 5000m Final Results

Nadia Battocletti 🇮🇹 – 15:37.84
Marta García 🇪🇸 – 15:39.98 (SB)
Micol Majori 🇮🇹 – 15:40.65
Sarah Healy 🇮🇪 – 15:40.95
Hannah Nuttall 🇬🇧 – 15:41.27

The result produced a memorable 1-3 finish for Italy, with Battocletti taking gold and Majori completing the podium.

Battocletti’s victory adds another major European title to her growing collection and confirms her status as one of the continent’s leading distance runners.

For Italian athletics, the performance was even more special as two athletes finished inside the top three, delivering a spectacular double podium in Birmingham.

 

 

Miltiadis Tentoglou has once again been crowned European champion in the men’s long jump, winning gold at the European Championships in Birmingham with a best effort of 8.44m (-1.1m/s).

The Greek star produced the winning jump in the fourth round, securing his fourth consecutive European Championships gold medal in the event.

Men’s Long Jump Final Results

🥇 Miltiadis Tentoglou 🇬🇷 – 8.44m
🥈 Simon Ehammer 🇨🇭 – 8.29m
🥉 Bozhidar Saraboyukov 🇧🇬 – 8.26m

Tentoglou opened with 8.27m before matching the mark in the third round. He then produced his decisive 8.44m effort in the fourth round to move clear at the top of the standings.

Switzerland’s Simon Ehammer finished second with 8.29m, while Bulgaria’s Bozhidar Saraboyukov completed the podium with 8.26m.

Despite battling a headwind throughout the competition, Tentoglou once again delivered when it mattered most to extend his remarkable European championship winning streak.

With four consecutive European titles now secured, Tentoglou continues to establish himself as one of the most dominant long jumpers of his generation.

 

Romell Glave was crowned European men’s 100m champion after winning gold in front of a home crowd in Birmingham, clocking 10.09s into a -0.4m/s headwind.

The British sprinter produced a composed performance to take the title and lead a British 1-2 in the final.

Jeremiah Azu claimed the silver medal in 10.16s, while Germany’s Owen Ansah completed the podium with 10.19s to take bronze.

European 100m Final Results

Romell Glave  – 10.09s
Jeremiah Azu  – 10.16s
Owen Ansah  – 10.19s

Glave’s victory was particularly significant with the championship taking place on British soil, as he delivered the biggest performance of his European campaign when it mattered most.

Defending champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs was unable to defend his title after pulling up with an injury during the final. He was listed seventh in the results after recording 12.26s.

The result gives Britain a memorable gold-and-silver finish in the men’s 100m, with Glave securing the European crown ahead of compatriot Azu.

 

India is set to host its first-ever World Athletics Continental Tour Silver-level meet, with the competition scheduled to take place on 22 August 2026 at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

The prestigious meet will feature 18 events, equally divided between the men’s and women’s programmes, and is expected to attract several leading Indian and international athletes.

18 Events to Feature at the Bhubaneswar Meet

Men’s Events

Women’s Events

The competition will provide Indian athletes with an opportunity to compete against international opposition on home soil while gaining valuable experience at a high-level World Athletics-sanctioned meet.

Asian Games-Bound Athletes Expected to Compete

The meet is also expected to feature athletes selected to represent India at the 2026 Asian Games, making it an important part of the country’s preparations for the continental event.

Several international athletes are also expected to compete, adding further quality to the fields across the 18 events.

With the Asian Games approaching, the Bhubaneswar meet could provide India’s leading athletes with one of their final opportunities to test themselves in competitive action before heading to the continental championships.

The staging of India’s first World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meet also marks an important step for the country’s athletics calendar, bringing an international-level competition to Kalinga Stadium and providing Indian athletes with a chance to compete against some of the world’s leading performers on home soil.

India’s young athletes delivered one of the country’s most encouraging performances at the World Athletics U20 Championships 2026 in Eugene, Oregon, returning home with three medals, two silver and one bronze. More importantly, the championships showed that India’s junior athletics system is now producing athletes capable of competing consistently with the world’s best.

At the 2026 World U20 Athletics Championships, India finished 27th in the placing table with three medals, two silver and one bronze.

This is India’s second-best showing, behind the 2021 edition, in which the number of medals was the same: two silvers and one bronze. In 2021, Shaili Singh won silver in the women’s long jump, Amit won silver in the men’s 10,000m race walk, and India won bronze in the mixed 4x400m relay, while Indian athletes also recorded eight final appearances.

ASHISH YADAV LEADS THE CHARGE WITH JAVELIN SILVER

The standout Indian performance came from Ashish Yadav, who won silver in the men’s javelin throw.

His achievement carried special emotional significance for Indian athletics. Exactly ten years after Neeraj Chopra won the World U20 title in 2016, another Indian javelin thrower stood on the global podium. The young Indian thrower produced a best effort of 74.09m to finish on the podium.

The result reinforced India’s growing reputation as a global force in javelin throwing and highlighted the strength of the country’s junior throwing programme.

BASANT MEGHWAL CREATES HISTORY IN HIGH JUMP

India’s second silver medal came through Basant Meghwal in the men’s high jump.

Competing against a world-class field, Basant cleared crucial heights under pressure and stayed in contention for gold until the final stages of the event. His silver medal is the best-ever performance by an Indian male high jumper at the World U20 level and demonstrated the progress India has made in the vertical jumps.

Basant matched his lifetime best clearance of 2.21m to secure India’s second medal.

All three medal-winning athletes cleared the same height of 2.21m in the high jump. The medals were therefore decided on countback, based on the number of attempts taken at previous heights.

SHAHNAVAZ KHAN WINS BRONZE IN LONG JUMP

Shahnavaz Khan completed India’s medal tally by winning bronze in the men’s long jump, with a best jump of 7.84m at the World Athletics U20 Championships 2026.

This is India’s first-ever medal in the men’s long jump at the World U20 Championships. Although Shahnavaz entered the competition with a season-best jump of 8.30m, which was the second-best mark in the world this season, the result will surely serve as an important learning experience for the youngster for the future.

WOMEN’S 4X400M RELAY

India’s relay squads also produced noteworthy performances during the championships. The Indian team qualified for the World U20 final with 3:39.53s.

The women’s 4x400m relay team of Bhoomika Nehate, Tahura Khatun, Tanu, and Thiya Arumugam reached the final and finished 9th overall across all heats. Although the team finished last in the final, they clocked 3:45.28s at the World Athletics U20 Championships 2026.

A noteworthy individual performance came from 19-year-old quarter-miler Mohd. Ashfaq. The youngster produced three of the best races of his career in Eugene.

Ashfaq began his campaign by breaking the Indian U20 national record, clocking 45.81s in the 400m heats to qualify for the semifinals. In the semifinals, he produced another outstanding performance, finishing third in his race and ninth overall with 46.00s to secure a place in the world final.

In the final, against a strong field in which the gold, silver, and bronze medallists all clocked sub-45-second times, Ashfaq finished 8th in the men’s 400m final, clocking 46.20s.

DISAPPOINTMENTS

Along with these positives, India also had some disappointments.

Nitin Gupta, who had entered the competition as one of the strongest medal contenders based on his season-best and world-leading time of 18:54.37, was unable to reproduce that form in the final and missed out on the podium. He finished 6th in the men’s 5000m race walk, clocking 19:32.30s.

Another major disappointment came through Pooja, one of the country’s biggest medal hopes. She finished 7th in the women’s high jump final after failing to clear 1.87m, ending her campaign with a best clearance of 1.84m.

Prakriti Atal produced an impressive performance in the girls’ U14 triathlon at the Annual Delhi State Athletics Championship, scoring 2,614 points to finish first and win the gold medal.

Her total is higher than the current Indian U14 triathlon record of 2,519 points, set by Devika in 2024.

Prakriti Atal’s Performance

Prakriti’s 2,614-point total is 95 points higher than the existing Indian U14 record tally.

However, despite producing a higher score, the performance is unlikely to be officially ratified as a national record, as the competition was held at the state level and is not certified by World Athletics.

Prakriti nevertheless produced a standout performance, winning the event and surpassing the existing national-record points tally.