Athletics: Neeraj Chopra to lead India’s 28-member squad in Paris Olympics

India on Thursday named a 28-member athletics team for the upcoming Paris Olympics, headlined by superstar javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, but one more athlete — long jumper Jeswin Aldrin — is expected to be included by the national federation later.

The 26-year-old Tokyo Games gold medallist and reigning world champion in javelin throw has decided to skip the last Diamond League this weekend in Paris in order to prepare for the quadrennial extravaganza as almost all the selected names are on expected lines.

The squad comprises 17 men and 11 women athletes with some of the other prominent names being Asian Games champions Avinash Sable, Tajinderpal Singh Toor along with sprint hurdler Jyothi Yarraji, to name a few.

Top Indian long jumper Jeswin Aldrin is expected to be added to the team later after the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) formally notifies the world governing body about the pulling out of M Sreeshankar, who had breached the automatic qualifying mark but later ruled out of the Olympics due to an injury.

Aldrin is just one spot outside the qualification bracket as he is at 33rd place in the World Athletics (WA) ranking quota list. There will be 32 athletes competing in the men’s long jump event in the Paris Olympics.

All the countries must inform WA by Thursday (July 4) midnight regarding any pullout of their athletes. During the period from July 4-6, WA will reallocate the declined quota places to the next best-ranked athlete in the same event. It will then publish the final list on July 7.

“It was decided in the selection committee meeting today that whoever gets quota place (through world ranking) later on will be added in the team,” Indian athletics chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair told PTI.

“So, once we inform WA that Sreeshankar is not participating, Aldrin will get the quota place and he should be added in the team,” he added.

Jyothi Yarraji will become the first Indian 100m hurdler to compete in the Olympics while shot putter Abha Khatua also made a surprise cut through world rankings.

High jumper Sarvesh Anil Kushare, who won gold at the National Inter-State Championships with an effort of 2.25m, also made it to the team.

Javelin thrower DP Manu, who made the cut, was expectedly not named in the team after his dope flunk last week. Olympic champion Chopra and Kishore Jena had made direct qualification.

Four Indian male 20km race walkers had breached the qualifying mark of 1 hour 20 minute and 10 seconds but Ram Baboo has been dropped for “lack of consistency” as a country can name only three athletes in an event.

Baboo was not also considered for the marathon race walk mixed relay and Suraj Panwar, who also made the grade through world ranking, was named instead to pair with Priyanka Goswami, the lone Indian in the women’s 20km event.

He was sixth at the National Race Walk Championships in January and did not finish at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Antalya in April.

The 4x400m men’s relay team, featuring Muhammed Anas, Muhammed Ajmal, Amoj Jacob and Rajesh Ramesh, which had created quite a stir by leaving behind the USA team in one of the heats at the last World Championships, will also be followed with keen interest.

Ramesh has not run any individual 400m race this season and he pulled out of the race injured during the men’s 4x400m relay event at the World Relays Championships in Bahamas in May.

But, the AFI had said ahead of the National Inter-State Championships that his recovery has been satisfactory and he should be alright before the Olympics.

In the women’s 4x400m relay, Vithya Ramraj, MR Poovamma and Prachi got the nod based on the trial held on the final day of the National Inter-State Championships. Ramraj, Poovamma and Prachi had finished first, second and third in the trial. Kiran Pahal, Jyothika Sri Dandi and Subha Venkatesan had more or less picked themselves in the team.

The Team:

Men: Avinash Sable (3,000m steeplechase), Neeraj Chopra, Kishore Kumar Jena (javelin throw), Tajinderpal Singh Toor (shot put), Praveen Chithravel, Abulla Aboobacker (triple jump), Akshdeep Singh, Vikash Singh, Paramjeet Singh Bisht (20km race walk), Muhammed Anas, Muhammed Ajmal, Amoj Jacob, Santhosh Tamilarasan, Rajesh Ramesh (4x400m relay), Mijo Chacko Kurian (4x400m relay), Suraj Panwar (race walk mixed marathon), Sarvesh Anil Kushare (High Jump).

Women: Kiran Pahal (400m), Parul Chaudhary (3,000m steeplechase and 5,000m), Jyothi Yarraji (100m hurdles), Annu Rani (javelin throw), Abha Khatua (shot put), Jyothika Sri Dandi, Subha Venkatesan, Vithya Ramraj, Poovamma MR (4x400m relay), Prachi (4x400m), Priyanka Goswami (20km race walk/race walk mixed marathon).