Animesh Kujur, Sreeshankar push for World C'ships spots at Continental Tour in Odisha

India gears up for its inaugural World Athletics Continental Tour-Bronze Level meet, scheduled for August 10 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, featuring numerous Indian track and field international stars.

An Indian contingent of more than 90 athletes will compete for coveted titles against a few global stars in front of the home crowd at the iconic Kalinga Stadium, showcasing the growing prowess of Indian athletics.

The tournament carries immense importance as it offers C-category ranking points, crucial for athletes aiming to secure vital points for World Championships qualification.

As the deadline for the 2025 Tokyo World Championships qualification nears, athletes face limited opportunities to secure these important ranking points and will be eager to capitalize on the Odisha competition.

So far, only four Indian athletes, Neeraj Chopra (Javelin Throw), Gulveer Singh (5000m), Praveen Chithravel (Triple Jump), and Parul Chaudhary (Women’s 3000m Steeplechase), have breached the direct qualifying mark for the World Championships.

The ace Indian men’s steeplechase runner, Avinash Sable, also met the qualifying mark last year at the Paris Olympics, but unfortunately, he will skip this year’s Worlds due to injury.

Here are some of the top Indian athletes still fighting for qualification via the race to Tokyo rankings, who have a chance to improve their standing at the Indian Open:

(PB: Personal Best, SB: Season Best, WQM: World Championships Qualifying Mark)

Animesh Kujur - 200m (PB=SB= 20.32s, WQM= 20.16s)

The rising Indian sprinter currently holds the 42nd position in the men’s 200m Road to Tokyo World Championships rankings, with 48 spots available and an average performance of 1210 points.

His best recent performance came in the Asian Championships semi-finals, where he clocked 20.81s to finish second.

The 22-year-old is focused on earning additional ranking points in Odisha, likely needing a top finish with a time under 20.50 seconds to secure his spot.

Annu Rani - Javelin throw (PB= 63.82m, SB= 62.59m, WQM= 64m)

Annu had an average season until her triumph at the International Wiesław Maniak Memorial in Poland, where she threw 62.59m — her first 60m+ throw since the 2023 Asian Games.

This result propelled her into the top 30 of the Road to Tokyo rankings with an average of 1115 points and renewed her dream of qualifying for the World Championships for the fifth consecutive time.

With only 36 spots available, Annu aims to use this home continental meet to gain additional ranking points with another 60m+ throw.

Abdulla Aboobacker - Triple Jump (PB=SB= 17.19m, WQM= 17.22m)

Abdulla started the season impressively at the Indian Open Jumps, matching his personal best of 17.19m but falling just 0.03m short of the World Championships qualifying mark.

Since then, his form has dipped, causing a drop in the Road to Tokyo rankings, where he currently holds 32nd place out of 36 spots, with an average of 1179 points.

His last best jump was a below-par 16.08m at the XXXIV Qosanov Memorial in Kazakhstan. He will aim to surpass this in Odisha to break into the top 30.

Yashvir Singh - Javelin Throw (PB=SB= 82.57m, WQM= 85.50m)

The young javelin thrower made headlines at the Asian Championships with an 82m+ throw, finishing fifth.

He currently ranks 30th on the Road to Tokyo, with 36 spots available, holding an average of 1151 points. His last strong performance was 1094 points in the qualifying round of the Asian Championships.

Yashvir has struggled with consistency over 80m but will look to perform better in Odisha to secure vital ranking points.

Murali Sreeshankar - Long Jump (PB= 8.41m, SB= 8.05m, WQM= 8.27m)

The star long jumper is returning from a long injury break this year.

Having started late, he has only three results so far and is not yet in the Race to Tokyo rankings. With two upcoming domestic tournaments — the Continental meet in Bhubaneswar and the Inter-State meet in Chennai — he will complete the five tournaments required to enter the rankings.

He will need extraordinary performances in both meets to earn a ranking spot or hit the direct qualifying mark of 8.27m, which he has achieved six times before his injury.