New Delhi, September 3, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Commonwealth Games bronze medallist javelin thrower Yashvir Singh has replaced injured Neeraj Chopra in India’s athletics squad for the upcoming Asian Games, with the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) announcing a 77-member contingent for the September 19 to October 4 Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Two-time Olympic medallist Chopra, who was initially named in the 73-member squad, will not compete in Japan and will consequently be unable to defend the javelin throw titles he won at the 2018 Jakarta and 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. Rohit Yadav will be India’s other entrant in the men’s javelin throw.
Men’s 110m hurdler Tejas Shirse has also been omitted from the final squad. Shirse had initially been selected despite suffering two stress fractures in his left foot during the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Six athletes have been added to the initially approved squad: 200m runner Harita Bhadra, quarter-miler Kiran Pahal, pole vaulter Sindhushree G, triple jumper I Asha Ilango, discus thrower Sanya Yadav and hammer thrower Praveen Kumar.
India’s athletics contingent features 15 returning Asian Games champions and medallists. Avinash Sable, Tajinderpal Singh Toor, Parul Chaudhary and Annu Rani are the four individual champions from Hangzhou 2023 who remain in the squad and will have the opportunity to defend their titles.
Sable won gold in the 3000m steeplechase and silver in the 5000m in Hangzhou, while Toor will aim for a hat-trick of Asian Games gold medals in the shot put.
Parul, who won gold in the 5000m and silver in the 3000m steeplechase in Hangzhou, has been entered in the 1500m, 3000m steeplechase and 5000m in Aichi-Nagoya. Jyothi Yarraji, the Hangzhou 2023 silver medallist, will compete in the 100m hurdles, while Rajesh Ramesh, a member of India’s gold-winning men’s 4x400m relay team, has also been selected.
Murali Sreeshankar will return to the Asian Games after winning his second Commonwealth Games silver medal in the long jump in Glasgow. He had also won silver at the previous Asian Games.
Other Hangzhou 2023 medallists in the squad include Tejaswin Shankar, Gulveer Singh, Mohammed Afsal, Ancy Sojan, Praveen Chithravel and Vithya Ramraj.
Athletics was India’s most successful sport by medal count at the Hangzhou Games, with the contingent winning 29 medals — six gold, 14 silver and nine bronze.
India Athletics Squad for Asian Games
Men: Gurindervir Singh (100m/Mixed 4x100m Relay), Animesh Kujur (100m/200m/Mixed 4x100m Relay), Vishal T K (400m/4x400m Relay), Rajesh Ramesh (400m/4x400m Relay), Manut S (4x400m Relay/4x400m Mixed Relay), Dharmveer Choudhary (4x400m Relay), Mohammed Ashfaq (4x400m Relay), Jay Kumar (4x400m Relay/4x400m Mixed Relay), Mohammed Afsal P (800m), Krishan Kumar (800m), Yoonus Shah (1500m), Gulveer Singh (1500m/5000m/10000m), Avinash Sable (3000m SC), Yashas P (400m H), Santhosh Tamil Arasan (400m H), Sreeshankar M (Long Jump), Shahnawaz Khan (Long Jump), Praveen Chithravel (Triple Jump), Kartik Unnikrishnan (Triple Jump), Dev Meena (Pole Vault), Kuldeep Kumar (Pole Vault), Sarvesh Anil Kushare (High Jump), Aadarsh Ram (High Jump), Karanveer Singh (Shot Put), Tajinder Pal Toor (Shot Put), Yashvir Singh (Javelin Throw), Rohit Yadav (Javelin Throw), Damneet Singh (Hammer Throw), Praveen Kumar (Hammer Throw), Tejaswin Shankar (Decathlon), Thowfeeq N (Decathlon), Sawan Barwal (Marathon), Kartik Karkera (Marathon), Pranav Gaurav (Mixed 4x100m Relay).
Women: Harita Bhadra (200m/4x100m Mixed Relay), Unnathi Bollanda (200m/4x100m Mixed Relay), Prachi (400m/4x400m Relay), Kiran Pahal (400m/4x400m Relay), Gowthami Jayaraman (800m), Pooja (800m/1500m), Parul Chaudhary (1500m/3000m SC/5000m), Seema (5000m/10000m), Ankita (3000m SC), Jyothi Yarraji (100m H), Nandhini K (100m H), Vithya Ramraj (400m H/4x400m Relay), Anu R (400m H), Ancy Sojan (Long Jump), Shaili Singh (Long Jump), Lasha Ilangovan (Triple Jump), Niharika Vashisht (Triple Jump), Sindhushree G (Pole Vault), Baranica Elangovan (Pole Vault), Pooja (High Jump), Supriya B (High Jump), Manpreet Kaur (Shot Put), Krishna Jayasankar (Shot Put), Annu Rani (Javelin Throw), Seema (Discus Throw), Sanya Yadav (Discus Throw), Anushka Yadav (Hammer Throw), Tanya Chaudhary (Hammer Throw), Manju Rani (Full Marathon Racewalk), Priyanka Goswami (Full Marathon Racewalk), Pooja (Heptathlon), Anamika K A (Heptathlon), Sudheeksha Shivankar (4x100m Relay), Sneha S S (4x100m Relay/Mixed 4x100m Relay), Nithya Gandhe (4x100m Relay), Tamanna (4x100m Relay/Mixed 4x100m Relay), Srabani Nanda (4x100m Relay), Abinaya Rajarajan (4x100m Relay), Neeru Pathak (4x400m Relay), Rashdeep Kaur (4x400m Relay/4x400m Mixed Relay), Ansa Babu (4x400m Relay/4x400m Mixed Relay), Poovamma R (4x400m Relay), Saloni Nagar (4x400m Relay).
FOLLOW NOW
