More than two lakh girls across 250 districts nationwide will take part in ASMITA athletics events on March 8 and 9 to mark International Women’s Day, Minister of State for Sports Raksha Khadse announced on Monday.
She advocated increased participation of women in sports to strengthen India’s bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games.
The event, part of the Sports Ministry’s initiative, will also initiate the creation of a nationwide pool of women technical officials.
This move is being planned with a long-term vision, keeping in mind the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad and India’s aspiration to become an Olympic host nation.
Five national competitions are lined up this month, setting the tone for the 2026 season.
With the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games 2026 scheduled this year, these competitions become extremely crucial for qualification, form assessment and team selection.
Muhammed Anas Yahiya is set to open his 2026 season at the Indian Open 400m meet in Trivandrum.
“Yes, I will be competing in the 400m Open meet,” Anas confirmed to NNIS Sports.
The former national record holder endured a disappointing campaign last season, managing only two competitions and finishing with a season’s best of 47.03 seconds.
In his absence from peak form, the national record of 45.21 seconds — once held by Anas — was surpassed by Vishal TK, who clocked 45.12 seconds last year to set a new benchmark.
Despite the recent setbacks, Anas remains one of India’s most experienced and accomplished quarter-milers. He has recorded 30 sub-46-second performances — more than any other Indian — underlining both his longevity and consistency at the highest level domestically.
All eyes will now be on Trivandrum as the seasoned campaigner begins what could be a pivotal season.
Keely Hodgkinson delivered an impressive performance over one lap,
clocking a 400m personal best of 51.49 seconds at the Scottish Indoor Invitational in Glasgow.
The run showcased her growing speed and strength — a promising indicator as she builds toward her primary 800m campaigns this season.
Lieke Klaver stormed to the Dutch women’s 400m indoor title,
clocking an impressive 51.28 seconds to secure gold.
She was pushed all the way in a tightly contested final by Myrte van der Schoot,
who delivered a personal best performance of 51.33 seconds.
Despite the late challenge, Klaver held her ground to seal the national crown in commanding fashion.
Last year marked a strong phase for Damneet on the domestic circuit, as he continued to assert his dominance across major competitions in India — a trend that has remained consistent over the past two seasons.
Looking ahead, the challenge now shifts to the international stage.
The qualification mark for the upcoming Commonwealth Games stands at 73.09 metres — a target that would require Damneet not only to surpass his personal best of 69.87 metres but also to break the current national record of 72.86 metres held by KP Singh.
On the continental front, the pathway appears more attainable.
The Asian Games qualification mark is set at 69.12 metres — a distance that sits well within Damneet’s reach based on his current form and progression.
With momentum on his side domestically, the coming season could prove decisive in translating national success into international qualification.
India’s Krishna Jayasankar has delivered a landmark performance in women’s shot put, registering a lifetime best throw of 17.09 metres — breaching the 17-metre mark for the very first time in her career.
The effort earned her a silver medal at the Mountain West Indoor Championships, marking a major milestone in her steady rise.
Her 17.09m throw now stands as India’s best mark of 2025 so far, and the second-best performance by an Indian since 2024.
Only the outdoor national record of 18.41 metres held by Abha Khatua surpasses this distance.
Significantly, this performance also marks Krishna’s third consecutive personal best — underlining her rapid progression — and establishes a new indoor national record for India.
A breakthrough moment that signals both consistency and growing promise on the international stage.
Last season proved to be a rollercoaster for Abdulla — a campaign filled with both breakthrough highs and near-miss heartbreaks.
He began on a strong note, striking gold at the Taiwan Athletics Meet, where he stood out as the only triple jumper to breach the 16-metre mark — a statement performance on the international stage.
But the margins of elite sport can be brutally fine.
At the Asian Championships, Abdulla narrowly missed out on the bronze medal by just 0.10 metres — a result that underlined both his competitiveness and the heartbreak of coming so close.
Back home, consistency followed.
He secured silver at the Federation Cup, before delivering one of the standout performances of his season at the Indian Open Jumps Competition — clinching gold with a massive 17.19-metre leap.
That jump was particularly significant, marking his second 17-metre-plus effort in the past two-and-a-half years — reaffirming his ability to compete at the highest level.
However, the season ended on a challenging note, as Abdulla fell short of qualifying for the final at the World Championships.
A year of promise, resilience, and lessons — Abdulla’s journey last season reflected both the rewards and realities of competing at the top tier of global athletics.
medal in the 60m hurdles with a time of 7.73 seconds (the same time he clocked in the heats) at the Big Sky Championships 2026.
