National Junior Athletics Championships 2026: 8 Record-Breakers Who Could Shape India’s Future

Five days in Chennai, 15 national records and a new generation of names. The 41st National Junior Athletics Championships 2026 did more than crown Tamil Nadu as champions. It introduced the athletes who could carry Indian athletics for the next decade.

From a 17-year-old sprinter who broke two national records in one week to a javelin thrower who beat the old mark by more than seven metres, these are the heroes of the 2026 Junior Nationals. For each one, we look at what they did at the JN Stadium between 23 and 27 October, and the story that brought them there.

Neil Samraj R: the sprinter who broke three records in eight weeks

No athlete owned the Chennai championships like Neil Samraj R. On the opening day, the Tamil Nadu sprinter won the U18 100m in 10.45, lowering his own national record. On the final day, he won the 200m in 21.03, breaking Abhay Singh’s national record of 21.08. He was named the best athlete in the men’s U18 category.

The story so far: Neil is a 17-year-old from Coimbatore who only took up athletics seriously in Class 9. His mother, a government school teacher and a former athlete herself, pushed him towards sprinting, and he trains under coach Velmurugan. He has already run for India in the 4x100m relay squad at the World U20 Championships.

His rise has been remarkable. His personal best in June 2026 was 10.59. At the Youth Nationals in Ludhiana on 1 September, he broke Anshu Rajak’s U18 record of 10.63 with 10.53 in the semi-final, then improved it to 10.46 in the final. Chennai took him to 10.45. That is three 100m national records in under two months, plus the 200m record.

Minakshi: five throws, five beyond the old record

Minakshi of Haryana produced the throw of the week on the very first day. Her opening attempt in the girls’ U16 javelin flew 54.40m, destroying the national and meet record of 46.87m, which Muskan set in Bhubaneswar in 2024, by 7.53m.

It was not a one-off. All five of her legal throws went past the old record, and her second-best was 53.67m. The standard she set lifted the whole field: the silver and bronze medallists, and even the fourth-placed thrower, all beat the old national mark too.

Why she matters: Javelin is India’s showcase event, and Haryana has produced its biggest stars. A U16 girl adding more than seven metres to a national record in a single competition is the kind of jump that marks out a future senior international.

Lodenge Ramu: an 11-year-old 400m record falls

Lodenge Ramu of Telangana won the men’s U18 400m in 46.80 on Day 2. That broke the national record of 46.99, which Chandan Bauri set in 2015, and wiped out the meet record of 47.48 by more than half a second. He beat a strong field too: Manas Shinde of Maharashtra, the fastest qualifier, also ran inside the old meet record for silver.

Ramu showed his range on the final day. Stepping down to the 200m, he took silver in 21.36, behind only Neil Samraj’s national record run.

Why he matters: The 400m has become one of India’s strongest events at senior level, particularly in the relays. A U18 runner already under 47 seconds puts Ramu on the path towards that squad.

Yash Mulik: two national records in two months

Yash Mulik of Maharashtra won the men’s U18 110m hurdles in 13.29 on Day 3, improving his own national record by 0.11. He also smashed the meet record of 13.59, held since 2019 by Tejas Ashok Shirse, who went on to set the senior national record.

The story so far: Yash arrived in Chennai in the form of his life. At the Youth Nationals in Ludhiana in September, he ran 13.40 to break the national record, improving his previous best of 13.47, and was named the best male athlete of the meet. Seven weeks later he was another tenth faster.

The podium in Chennai was a repeat of Ludhiana in a different order, with Kirpal K of Tamil Nadu and Anshu Yadav of Uttar Pradesh behind him. That rivalry should push all three for years.

Nishchay: ending a 16-year wait in the discus

Nishchay of Haryana broke the men’s U18 discus national record twice in two throws on Day 4. His opener of 64.72m already beat the mark of 64.09m, which Arjun set in 2010. He then threw 66.75m, and his third attempt (64.70m) was beyond the old record as well. He won by more than nine metres.

The story so far: Nishchay has been winning national titles for years. He won the boys’ U16 discus at the 2023 Junior Nationals in Coimbatore, then completed a discus and shot put double at the 2025 Youth Nationals in Patna. Chennai turned that consistency into a record that had stood for 16 years.

Abinaya Rajarajan: India’s fastest junior woman gets faster

Abinaya Rajarajan of Tamil Nadu won the women’s U20 100m in 11.49 on the opening day, into a slight headwind. That lowered her own national record of 11.54, which she set in Kochi on 21 April 2025.

What stood out was how she did it. Abinaya ran 11.84 in the heats and 11.76 in the semi-finals, nowhere near her best. Then she found 0.27 seconds when it mattered. Saving the best for the final is the habit of a championship sprinter.

Chuki Birda: raising the bar in the pole vault

Chuki Birda of Rajasthan won the women’s U20 pole vault with 3.91m on Day 2. That improved the national record of 3.90m, set by Vanshika Ghanghas last year, and beat the meet record of 3.80m held by Karthika V.

Why she matters: Women’s pole vault is one of the events where India has the most ground to make up. The U20 record has now moved in two straight years, and Chuki is the one holding it. Jeena Basil of Kerala matched the old meet record for silver, so the event finally has a rivalry at the top.

Rahul Jakhar: India’s best junior all-rounder

Rahul Jakhar of Gujarat won the U20 decathlon with 7,125 points, leading from start to finish. He was top after five events on Day 1 with 3,723 points, helped by the fastest 100m (10.88) and 400m (49.58) in the field, and won by more than 400 points.

The story so far: Rahul already holds the U20 national record of 7,185 points, set in Hong Kong in May 2026. His Chennai score was 60 points short of that, but it was also above the meet record of 7,065 on the result sheet. Two 7,000-point decathlons in one season is rare for a junior anywhere.

More names to watch from the 2026 Junior Nationals

The record-breakers above were not the only ones who caught the eye in Chennai. These athletes also set records or produced standout wins.

• Tharanesh C (Tamil Nadu): boys’ U16 shot put national record of 17.86m, beating the 2024 mark of 17.42m.
• Amanuel Kishu (Jharkhand): boys’ U16 80m hurdles national record of 10.10, and Jharkhand’s first gold of the meet.
• Varun Bhambhu (Haryana): 71.20m in the U14 kids’ javelin, 10.55m past the old national record.
• Fasalul Haque (Kerala): men’s U20 110m hurdles meet record of 13.69 in a race where the top four all beat the old mark.
• Tanu Chaudhary (Uttar Pradesh): women’s U18 400m meet record of 53.40, more than a second faster than in her heat.
• Bhavana G (Tamil Nadu): women’s U20 200m meet record of 23.82 on the final day.
• Anshu (Haryana): women’s U20 shot put meet record of 15.58m on the final day.

The heroes of the National Junior Athletics Championships 2026: summary