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Neeraj Effect! 4 Indian javelin throwers qualify for Worlds

August 03, 2023 09:13 IST

IMAGE: Kishore Jena won gold in the Sri Lankan National Championships to qualify for the World Championships. Photograph: Athletics Federation of India/Twitter

In a rare instance in Indian athletics, four men's javelin throwers from the country have qualified for the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, later this month, but injury to one member of the quartet meant that all of them will not take part in the big-ticket event.

 

Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra has already qualified for the August 19-27 showpiece as wildcard by virtue of being the Diamond League champion and Kishore Jena also made the cut in the world ranking quota.

Rohit Yadav and D P Manu also made it to the 36 javelin throwers' list to compete in the World Championships. But Rohit had recently undergone a surgery on his throwing elbow and he will miss the World Championships.

World Athletics (WA) on Wednesday updated its Road to Budapest list after the qualification period ended on July 30. Jena, who won gold in the Sri Lankan National Championships on July 30 with a personal best of 84.38m, took the 36th spot.

A country can have three athletes in each event but the number can be increased to four if one makes the cut through wildcard. In India's case, Chopra qualified as wildcard and so the country can have another three javelin throwers if they qualify.

But it is up to the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) to decide the Indian team and it may not send a particular player to compete in an event.      

Qualification can be achieved through breaching entry standard as well and through world ranking quota and WA has earmarked specific numbers for each head.

The men's 20km race walk event also has three Indians in Akshdeep Singh, Vikash Singh and Paramjeet Bisht qualifying through entry standard.

In women's 20km race walk, Priyanka Goswami has qualified by breaching the entry standard, while Bhawna Jat made the cut in world ranking quota.

In men's triple jump, three Indians -- Praveen Chithravel, Abdulla Aboobacker and Eldhose Paul -- have made the cut.

Chithravel breached the entry standard, while Aboobacker and Paul qualified through world ranking quota.

India's newest Diamond League medallist, long jumper Murali Sreeshankar and ace 3000m steeplechaser Avinash Sable have already qualified through entry standard.

Jeswin Aldrin has also qualified in men's long jump through breaching entry standard. Asian record holder shot putter Tajinderpal Toor also qualified via entry standard.

Jyothi Yarraji and Parul Chaudhary have qualified in women's 100m hurdle and 3000m steeplechase respectively as Asian champions. Long jumper Shali Singh and javelin thrower Annu Rani also made the cut in the world ranking quota.

Kishan Kumar (800m), Ajay Kuar Saroj (1500m), Sarvesh Anil Kushare and Tejaswin Shankar (high jump) and Ram Baboo (men's 35km race walk) also qualified in the world ranking quota, so as Santhosh Kumar (men's 400m hurdles) and K M Chanda (women's 800m).

In the relay events, only the men's 4x400m team made the cut.

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