India on Friday named a 59-member team for the upcoming Asian Athletics Championship in South Korea with star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra expectedly skipping the event, with almost all those who had excelled in the just-concluded Federation Cup in Kochi making the cut. Double Olympic medallist Chopra missing the event was on expected lines as his focus this season will be on the Diamond League Meetings and the World Championships in September, besides the NC Classic which he is hosting in Bengaluru on May 24.
Chopra has not competed in the continental showpiece since the 2017 edition in Bhubaneswar where he won a gold. Since then, his focus has remained on the DL Meetings, World Championships and Olympics.
National record holder shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor, who had won gold in the last edition of the continental championships, was omitted from the squad after he finished a disappointing second in the Federation Cup.
Pole vaulter Dev Kumar Meena also missed the bus despite re-writing his own national record as his effort was below the Asian Championships qualification mark set by the Athletics Federation of India.
But others such as Avinash Sable (men’s 3000m steeplechase), Parul Chaudhary (women’s 3000m steeplechase) and Gulveer Singh (5000m and 10000m) have been included in the squad, even though they did not take part in the Federation Cup as they were training and competing abroad after taking AFI’s permission.
Also featuring in the squad for the May 27-31 Asian Championships in Gumi are sprinter Animesh Kujur, who set a new 200m national record, and triple jumper Praveen Chitravel, who equalled his own NR during the Federation Cup.
National record holder in women’s javelin throw, Annu Rani made it to the squad on the basis of her 58.82m effort during the Indian Open Throws Competition in Mumbai in March. The 32-year-old could not breach the Asian Championships qualifying mark of 58m during the Federation Cup, though she won gold with a 56.66m throw. She has been struggling for some time to reach the 60m mark.
The Federation Cup (April 21-24) was the last selection event for the Asian Championships and the AFI had made it mandatory for all the athletes — except those who got exemptions — to compete in it if they wanted to be picked for the continental championships.
In the last edition in Bangkok, India had finished third behind Japan and China with 27 medals — 6 gold, 12 silver and 9 bronze.
India’s squad: Men: Animesh Kujur (200m), Anu Kumar and Krishan Kumar (800m), Yoonus Shah (1500m), Avinash Sable (3000m steeplechase), Gulveer Singh and Abhishek Pal (5000m), Gulveer Singh and Sawan Barwal (10,000m), Praveen Chithravel and Abudlla Aboobacker (triple jump), Sarvesh Kushare (high jump), Sachin Yadav and Yasvir Singh (javelin throw), Samardeep Singh (shot put), Tejaswin Shankar (decathlon), Servin Sebastian and Amit (20km race walk).
4x100m relay: Pranav Pramod Gurav, Animesh Kujur, Manikanta Hoblidar, Amlan Borgohain, Tamilarasu S, Ragul Kumar G, Gurvindervir Singh.
4x400m relay: Vishal TK, Jay Kumar, Manu TS, Rince Joseph, Tushar Manna, Santhosh Kumar, Dharamveer Choudhary, Mohit Kumar.
Women: Nithya Gandhe (200m), Rupal Chaudhary and Vithya Ramraj (400m), Twinkle Chaudhary and Pooja (800m), Lili Das and Pooja (1500m), Parul Chaudhary and Ankita (3000m steeplechase), Sanjivani Jadav and Parul Chaudhary (5000m), Sanjivani Jadhav and Seema (10,000m), Jyothi Yarraji (100m hurdles), R Vithya Ramraj and Anu R (400m), Shaili Singh and Ancy Sojan (long jump), Pooja (high jump), Seema (discus throw), Annu Rani (javelin throw), Agsara Nandini (heptathlon).
4x100m relay: Nithya Gandhe, Abinaya Rajarajan, Sneha SS, Srabani Nanda, Daneshwari AT, V Sudheeksha.
4x400m relay: Rupal Chaudhary, Sneha K, Subha Venkatesan, Jisna Mathew, Kunja Rajitha, Sarndramol Sabu.
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