Neeraj Chopra to spearhead India's 19-member contingent at World Athletics Championships 2025

New Delhi [India], August 27 (ANI): Reigning world champion Neeraj Chopra will spearhead India 19-member contingent at the World Athletics Championships 2025 in Tokyo, which will run from September 13 to 21.

In India contingent, rising sensation Animesh Kujur made history by becoming the first male sprinter from the country to qualify for the World Athletics Championships. India contingent comprises 13 men and six women athletes, according to the Olympics.com website.

Neeraj, who is the defending champion in the men javelin throw event, qualified through a wild card entry. He will feature in the men javelin throw event alongside Sachin Yadav and Yashvir Singh, both of whom secured berths via the world rankings.

India also had athletes who qualified through entry standards, including Avinash Sable (3000m steeplechase), Parul Chaudhary (3000m steeplechase), Gulveer Singh (5000m) and Praveen Chitravel (triple jump). However, Sable has been ruled out of the Championships due to an injury that cut short his season.

The remaining athletes qualified through their world rankings. Long jump athlete Murali Sreeshankar, who has won every competition he has contested in since returning from injury, failed to breach the qualification mark. He made an 8.06m leap to win the gold, but fell short of the 8.27m men long jump qualifying mark for the World Athletics Championships.

Along with Sreeshankar, women javelin thrower Annu Rani, whose consistent 60m-plus efforts have underlined her form this season, also earned the qualification through world rankings.

The breakthrough story belongs to Animesh, the national record-holder in the 100m and 200m categories. He will compete in the men 200m, marking the first time India has represented the event at a global stage.

Nandini Agasara booked her place in the heptathlon as the Asian (Area) champion. However, she will miss the World Championships after sustaining an elbow injury.

A look at India 19-member contingent for World Athletics Championships 2025:

Wildcard: Neeraj Chopra (Men Javelin Throw: Defending Champion)

By meeting entry standard: Praveen Chithravel (Men Triple Jump), Gulveer Singh (Men 5000m), Avinash Sable (Men 3000m Steeplechase), Parul Chaudhary (Women 3000m Steeplechase)

Through World Rankings: Animesh Kujur (Men 200m), Annu Rani (Women Javelin Throw), Sachin Yadav (Men Javelin Throw), Yash Vir Singh (Men Javelin Throw), Ankita Dhyani (Women 3000m Steeplechase), Murali Sreeshankar (Men Long Jump), Abdulla Aboobacker (Men Triple Jump), Sarvesh Kushare (Men High Jump), Nandini Agasara (Heptathlon), Pooja (Women 1500m), Servin Sebastian (Men 20km Race Walk), Akshdeep Singh (Men 20km Race Walk), Ram Baboo (Men 35km Race Walk), Priyanka Goswami (Women 35km Race Walk). (ANI)

Disclaimer: This news article is a direct feed from ANI and has not been edited by the News Nation team. The news agency is solely responsible for its content.