Yashvir gets Asian Games call-up as injured Neeraj misses out with an injury

Yashvir Singh has replaced injured Neeraj Chopra in India’s 77-member athletics squad for the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. Six athletes have been added to the initial squad, while several Hangzhou medallists return as India targets another strong medal haul

New Delhi: 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 between September 19 and October 4 in Aichi-Nagoya.

Two-time Olympic medallist Chopra was initially named to the 73-member Indian athletics team for the Games but will no longer defend the titles he won in Jakarta 2018 and Hangzhou 2023. Rohit Yadav is the other Indian selected for the men’s javelin throw.

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Meanwhile, men’s 110m hurdler Tejas Shirse, who was initially selected for the 110m hurdles despite sustaining two stress fractures in his left foot at the CWG in Glasgow, has also been omitted from the team.

200 m runner Harita Bhadra, quarter-miler Kiran Pahal, pole vaulter Sindhushree G, triple jumper I Asha Ilango, discus thrower Sanya Yadav and hammer thrower Praveen Kumar are the six athletes added to the initially approved squad.

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 the chance to defend their titles in Japan.

Sable won gold in the 3000m steeplechase and silver in the 5000m three years ago. Meanwhile, Tajinderpal Singh Toor will be chasing 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 steeplechase and 3000m.

Jyothi Yarraji, who won the silver medal 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. The Indian jumper 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 also 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).