Neeraj Chopra to lead 28-member Indian team in World Athletics Championships

Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra was the biggest star in the 28-member Indian contingent that was announced on Tuesday for the World athletics championships to be held in Budapest from August 19.

While the presence of Chopra, who is training in Switzerland and will seek to improve upon his silver medal in the previous edition, is a boost for India, the absence of Asian champion shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor, who is recovering from a groin injury, has come as a setback.

Ahead of the Asian Games, high jumper Tejaswin Shankar and 800m runner K.M. Chanda, who qualified through rankings, and 20km race walker Priyanka Goswami, who achieved automatic qualifying standard, have also skipped the event.

Steeplechaser Avinash Sable, long jumpers M. Sreeshankar and Jeswin Aldrin and triple jumper Praveen Chithravel were some other leading Indian names in the squad. “Majority of our athletes have reached Hungary to get acclimatised to local weather conditions,” said chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair.

Long jumper Shaili Singh will leave for Budapest this weekend, while javelin throwers D.P. Manu and Kishore Jena are expected to join the team next week.

The squad:

Men: Krishan Kumar (800m), Ajay Kumar Saroj (1500m), Santhosh Kumar (400mh), Avinash Sable (3000m steeplechase), Sarvesh Anil Kushare (high jump), Jeswin Aldrin, Murali Sreeshankar (long jump), Praveen Chithravel, Abdulla Aboobacker, Eldhouse Paul (triple jump), Neeraj Chopra, DP Manu, Kishore Kumar Jena (javelin), Akashdeep Singh, Vikash Singh, Paramjeet Singh (20km race walk), Ram Baboo (35km race walk), Men’s 4×4 relay (Amoj, Jacob, Muhammed Anas, Muhammed Ajmal, Rajesh Ramesh, Arul Rajalingam, Mijo Chacko Kurian).

Women: Parul Chaudhary (3000m steeplechase), Shaili Singh (long jump), Annu Rani (javelin), Jyothi Yarraji (100mh), Bhawna Jat (20km race walk).