National Open Athletics Championships — Indian athletes look to finish season on a high after heartbreak at Worlds
Following India’s disappointing performance at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, the National Open Championships here will be an opportunity for 700-plus athletes to close the season well.
Without Neeraj Chopra’s medal, India drew a blank at the Worlds after six years.
While top athletes, including defending javelin champion Neeraj, Asian Games gold medallist Annu Rani and Asian champion in long-distance running, Gulveer Singh, performed below par, three others — javelin throwers Sachin Yadav (fourth, 86.27m), high jumper Sarvesh Kushare (sixth, 2.28m) and middle-distance runner Pooja (800m heats, 2:01.03) — achieved personal bests.
Kushare and Pooja will add some gloss to this meeting, starting at the Birsa Munda Stadium, Morabadi, here on Saturday. The contest also faces a rain threat.
The meet is significant as the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) will select the top six sprinters for the 2026 Asian Games 4x100m relay team from here.
Two more will be picked on the basis of their overall performance in 2025.
The men’s 100m event will have former National record holders Manikanta Hoblidhar and Amiya Mallick, Fed Cup champion Pranav Gurav, defending champion Lalu Prasad Bhoi, Amlan Borgohain and Inter-state champion S. Tamil Arasu.
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However, National record holder Animesh Kujur (10.18) and Gurindervir Singh (10.20) will be absent.
In women’s 100m, Srabani Nanda, Nithya Gandhe and Abinaya Rajarajan are among the leading names.
World Championships’ participants, Rohit Yadav and Yashvir Singh, apart from Vikrant Malick and Shivam Lohakare, will form a competitive javelin field.
National record holder Dev Meena (5.40m), joint inter-state champions M. M.Gowtham and G.Reegan (5.20m), and former National record holder Siva S. (5.31m) can make pole vault a tense affair.
Tejas Shirse (110m hurdles), who participated in Tokyo, shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor, quartermilers Rajesh Ramesh and Kiran Pahal and 2018 Asian Games heptathlon champion Swapna Barman, who is making a comeback, will be among the well-known participants.
Published on Sep 26, 2025