India looks to continue dominance in South Asian Senior Athletics Championships
A second string Indian team, made up of several junior players, will look to continue the country’s dominance in the South Asian Senior Athletics Championships which will make a return after 15 years here on Friday.
The fourth edition of the championships to be held at the Birsa Munda Stadium under the aegis of South Asian Athletics Federation (SAAF) will mark the revival of the regional event after Kochi in Kerala hosted the last one in 2008.
In fact, the championships is being held in India for the third time, with the country having hosted the inaugural edition in 1997. Sri Lanka hosted the second edition in 1998.
This time, 206 athletes from six South Asian nations — India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Maldives — will compete across 37 medal events over three days.
Pakistan is not taking part in the championships despite invitation from the organisers.
“We sent invitations to all the member countries of the South Asian Athletics Federation. Pakistan is a member country, but they have not given any response to our invite,” an official in the organising committee told PTI.
In fact, the fourth edition has been postponed twice. It was to be held in 2024 but got postponed to May 2025 and then to October 24-26.
For India, the three-day event, being held when most of the top athletes have wound up their season, is an opportunity for giving exposure to junior and upcoming athletes. The 73-strong Indian team has no big name with the exception of M R Poovamma who has been named in the women’s 4x400m relay team.
Other Indian medal contenders include Seema, Pranav Gaurav and Samardeep Gill..
The Indians will face tough competition from Sri Lanka in some events, including the men’s javelin throw. The island nation has sent 63 athletes led by their top men’s javelin thrower Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, who is the favourite to win gold in the event.
Pathirage holds the Sri Lankan national record of 86.50m, which he had produced while winning gold in the World Athletics Continental Tour bronze level meet in Bhubaneswar in August. He had also finished seventh in the World Championships in Tokyo earlier this year.
India has fielded National Open Championships gold and silver winners Rishab Nehra and Uttam Patil against Pathirage. Nehra recently joined the country’s growing 80m club with 80.12m effort at the National Open Championships here in September.
The Sri Lankans will also offer strong competition to the Indians in men’s sprint races.
Bangladesh is being represented by 20 athletes while Nepal has sent 27. Maldives has sent 15 athletes while eight will represent Bhutan.
For India, several junior athletes have been rewarded for their good performance in the season by picking them in the team.
In the last edition in 2008, India had won 57 medals — 24 gold, 19 silver, 14 bronze, while Sri Lanka had accumulated 7 gold, 9 silver, 15 bronze.
The quality and level of competition is unlikely to rise to any great heights. But the local organisers and the Jharkhand government, which is funding the event, are looking at the championships as a stepping stone to bigger competitions in future.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren is expected to inaugurate the championships.
Published on Oct 23, 2025