Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Sep 3: Commonwealth Games bronze medallist javelin thrower Yashvir Singh has replaced injured Neeraj Chopra as the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) announced a 77-member track and field squad for the upcoming Asian Games, scheduled to be held from September 19 to October 4 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Two-time Olympic medallist Chopra was initially named in the 73-member Indian athletics team but will no longer defend the javelin throw titles he won at the Jakarta 2018 and Hangzhou 2023 Asian Games. Rohit Yadav is the other Indian selected for the men's javelin throw.
Men's 110m hurdler Tejas Shirse, who was initially selected despite sustaining two stress fractures in his left foot at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, has also been omitted from the squad.
Six athletes have been added to the initially approved squad — 200m runner Harita Bhadra, quarter-miler Kiran Pahal, pole vaulter Sindhushree G, triple jumper Lasha Ilangovan, discus thrower Sanya Yadav and hammer thrower Praveen Kumar.
India's athletics contingent includes 15 returning Asian Games champions and medallists. Avinash Sable, Tajinderpal Singh Toor, Parul Chaudhary and Annu Rani are the four individual champions from Hangzhou 2023 who remain in the squad and will have an opportunity to defend their titles in Japan.
Sable won gold in the 3000m steeplechase and silver in the 5000m at Hangzhou. Tajinderpal Singh Toor will be aiming for a hat-trick of Asian Games shot put titles.
Parul, who won gold in the 5000m and silver in the 3000m steeplechase in Hangzhou, has been selected for three events in Aichi-Nagoya — the 1500m, 5000m and 3000m steeplechase.
Jyothi Yarraji, who won silver at Hangzhou 2023, will return to major international competition in the 100m hurdles. Rajesh Ramesh, who was part of India's gold medal-winning men's 4x400m relay team in Hangzhou, has also been selected.
Murali Sreeshankar will head to Japan after winning his second Commonwealth Games silver medal in the long jump in Glasgow. He was also the silver medallist at the previous Asian Games.
Tejaswin Shankar, Gulveer Singh, Mohammed Afsal, Ancy Sojan, Praveen Chithravel and Vithya Ramraj are the other Hangzhou 2023 medallists named in the Indian athletics squad.
Athletics was India's most successful sport at Hangzhou 2023 in terms of total medals won. The Indian contingent won 29 medals, including six gold, 14 silver and nine bronze.
Squad
Men: Gurindervir Singh (100m/Mixed 4x100m Relay), Animesh Kujur (100m/200m/Mixed 4x100m Relay), Vishal T K (400m/4x400m Relay), Rajesh Ramesh (400m/4x400m Relay), Manut S (4x400m Relay/4x400m Mixed Relay), Dharmveer Choudhary (4x400m Relay), Mohammed Ashfaq (4x400m Relay), Jay Kumar (4x400m Relay/4x400m Mixed Relay), Mohammed Afsal P (800m), Krishan Kumar (800m), Yoonus Shah (1500m), Gulveer Singh (1500m/5000m/10000m), Avinash Sable (3000m SC), Yashas P (400m H), Santhosh Tamil Arasan (400m H), Sreeshankar M (Long Jump), Shahnawaz Khan (Long Jump), Praveen Chithravel (Triple Jump), Kartik Unnikrishnan (Triple Jump), Dev Meena (Pole Vault), Kuldeep Kumar (Pole Vault), Sarvesh Anil Kushare (High Jump), Aadarsh Ram (High Jump), Karanveer Singh (Shotput), Tajinder Pal Toor (Shotput), Yashvir Singh (Javelin Throw), Rohit Yadav (Javelin Throw), Damneet Singh (Hammer Throw), Praveen Kumar (Hammer Throw), Tejaswin Shankar (Decathlon), Thowfeeq N (Decathlon), Sawan Barwal (Marathon), Kartik Karkera (Marathon), Pranav Gaurav (Mixed 4x100m Relay).
Women: Harita Bhadra (200m/4x100m Mixed Relay), Unnathi Bollanda (200m/4x100m Mixed Relay), Prachi (400m/4x400m Relay), Kiran Pahal (400m/4x400m Relay), Gowthami Jayaraman (800m), Pooja (800m/1500m), Parul Chaudhary (1500m/3000m SC/5000m), Seema (5000m/10000m), Ankita (3000m SC), Jyothi Yarraji (100m H), Nandhini K (100m H), Vithya Ramraj (400m H/4x400m Relay), Anu R (400m H), Ancy Sojan (Long Jump), Shaili Singh (Long Jump), Lasha Ilangovan (Triple Jump), Niharika Vashisht (Triple Jump), Sindhushree G (Pole Vault), Baranica Elangovan (Pole Vault), Pooja (High Jump), Supriya B (High Jump), Manpreet Kaur (Shotput), Krishna Jayasankar (Shotput), Annu Rani (Javelin Throw), Seema (Discus Throw), Sanya Yadav (Discus Throw), Anushka Yadav (Hammer Throw), Tanya Chaudhary (Hammer Throw), Manju Rani (Full Marathon Racewalk), Priyanka Goswami (Full Marathon Racewalk), Pooja (Heptathlon), Anamika K A (Heptathlon), Sudheeksha Shivankar (4x100m Relay), Sneha S S (4x100m Relay/Mixed 4x100m Relay), Nithya Gandhe (4x100m Relay), Tamanna (4x100m Relay/Mixed 4x100m Relay), Srabani Nanda (4x100m Relay), Abinaya Rajarajan (4x100m Relay), Neeru Pathak (4x400m Relay), Rashdeep Kaur (4x400m Relay/4x400m Mixed Relay), Ansa Babu (4x400m Relay/4x400m Mixed Relay), Poovamma R (4x400m Relay), Saloni Nagar (4x400m Relay).