Interstate Competition for Elite Athletes: Pursuit of Spots for World Championships
The National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships kicked off in Chennai on Wednesday, serving as the final opportunity for Indian athletes to secure a spot at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
Several athletes are competing to bolster their world ranking and secure remaining quota places. Among them is 200m sprinter Animesh Kujur, who is looking to bolster his chances for the World Championships in Chennai. Kujur won bronze at the Asian Championships in Gumi and shattered the national record (20.32s). With his improved rankings, he has secured qualification by world ranking quota, becoming the first Indian male sprinter to qualify for the World Championships.
In the distance events, Ankita Dhyani, the only distance runner mentioned in the paragraph, will compete in Chennai. Dhyani is just outside the rankings cut-off and will chase her Worlds dream in the meet.
Javelin throwers Sachin Yadav, ranked 22nd, and Yashvir Singh, ranked 30th, are inside the top-36 cut-off for the javelin event in the World Championships. Star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra (wildcard as reigning champion) will lead the Indian charge in Tokyo.
High jumper Sarvesh Kushare and men’s long jumper Sreeshankar Murali are also aiming to improve their world rankings at the meet. Murali's ability to leap beyond 8m just a month into his long comeback from knee surgery has brought focus back to the long jump pit.
Abdulla Aboobacker, the Commonwealth Games silver medallist, is aiming for gold in Chennai to enhance his chances for the World Championships, currently holding the 30th spot in rankings.
Notably, star distance runner Avinash Sable, who had qualified automatically for the 3000m steeplechase, was unable to compete at Tokyo due to injury.
The relay squads have been India's biggest disappointment this season, failing to qualify for the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou. The men's 4x400m team has struggled since setting a national record at the 2023 Worlds in Budapest.
Praveen Chithravel has secured a direct berth in triple jump for the World Championships with a jump of 17.37m. Annu Rani, the Asian Games champion in women’s javelin, has hit form at the right time and could secure her ticket to Tokyo with a solid effort in Chennai.
The World Championships cut-off date is August 24, which coincides with the last day of the five-day domestic meet in Chennai. The National Inter State Athletics meet will serve as the last push for Indian athletes to turn rankings and form into tickets for Tokyo.
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