India's standout performances at the initial Continental Tour event: Kujur, Annu, Sreeshankar claim bronze medals for the country
In a spectacular display of athletic prowess, Indian athletes made their mark at a recent invitational competition held at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. The event, organised by the Odisha government in collaboration with the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), attracted more than 150 athletes from 17 countries.
The competition, which was not an open national championship, saw the participation of more than 90 athletes from India, with the rest representing various foreign nations. Notable among these were athletes from South Africa and Great Britain, each sending 4 representatives to participate in different track and field events.
One of the standout performances came from Animesh Kujur, who clinched the gold medal in the men's 200m sprint final with a time of 20.77 seconds. Kujur, who currently holds the men's national records in both the 100m and 200m sprints, set the 100m national record with a time of 10.18 seconds at the Dromia International Sprint & Relays in Greece. His 200m national record stands at 20.32 seconds, set at the Asian Athletics Championships 2025.
Annu Rani, another star performer, won the gold medal in the women's javelin throw event with a throw of 62.01m. Rani, who holds the women's national record in the javelin throw, achieved this feat at the 2025 World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze Meet. Her season's best is 62.59m, which she achieved in Poland on August 6, 2025.
In the men's long jump event, Murali Sreeshankar took the top spot with a jump of 8.13m, while Shahnavaz Khan managed a jump of 8.04m. However, neither of them has yet breached the Tokyo World Championships direct entry mark of 8.27m.
The competition carried a prize purse of USD 25,000. The Indians participating in various events were selected based on their best performance of the season up until July 12, 2025. Ragul Kumar took third place in the men's 200m sprint final with a time of 21.17 seconds.
Unfortunately, the organisers had to scrap the women's 4x400m relay race and the mixed 4x400m relay event due to lack of participation from other countries, as minimum three teams were required for these events.
The competition was a testament to the growing strength of Indian athletics, with athletes representing their respective departments, employers, private entities, or states such as NCOE Bangalore, NCOE Trivandrum, Army, Air Force, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), JSW Sports, and others. Nepal sent the largest contingent with 13 athletes, followed by Sri Lanka (10) and Malaysia (9).
The performances of Animesh Kujur and Annu Rani highlight their status as the fastest sprinter and the leading javelin thrower in Indian athletics respectively. Their achievements serve as a beacon of hope for the future of Indian athletics on the international stage.
[1] Dromia International Sprint & Relays: https://www.dromia.gr/en/ [2] Asian Athletics Championships 2025: https://www.asianathletics.org/competitions/asian-athletics-championships/2025 [3] World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze Meet: https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/continental-tour/bronze-meetings/2025/india-bhubaneswar-ind [4] 2025 World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze Meet Results: https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/results/2025/india-bhubaneswar-ind/women-s-javelin-throw-results.aspx
The triumphs of Animesh Kujur and Annu Rani in the invitational competition held at Kalinga Stadium showcase their status as elite athletes in Indian sports, particularly in the fields of track and field events, reinforcing the country's growing prominence in global athletics. Their impressive performance at the Dromia International Sprint & Relays and the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze Meet have set new national records and serve as a significant boost to the nation's health and sports sector. [1, 3]
