World Athletics Championships 2023: All you need to know about Indian athletes, schedule and live streaming
As many as 27 athletes from India will compete at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary from August 19 to 27. The 19th edition of the world meet will be crucial to Indian athletes who will be eyeing glory at the Asian Games.
India will be looking to make a mark in Budapest to show for their incredible results across the globe over the last 12 months. Apart from Neeraj Chopra, who is the only world meet medalist in the contingent, India have quite a few exciting young athletes who have traveled to Budapest, including steeplechaser Avinash Sable, long jumpers Murali Sreeshankar and Jeswin Aldrin and hurdler Jyoti Yarraji. Shot putter Tajinder Toor Pal, one of the medal contenders, opted out of the event due to injury.
All eyes will be on Neeraj Chopra who will be in action along with 2 other Indians, DP Manu and Kishore Jena, in the men’s javelin qualification event on August 25. Neeraj became only the 2nd Indian after Anju Bobby George to win a World Athletics Championships medal when he won silver in Eugene with a best throw of 88.13m, finishing behind Grenada’s Anderson Peters.
Neeraj will be hoping to better his effort and if the recent form of his competitors is anything to by, Neeraj stands a good chance of winning Gold in Budapest.
Anderson Peters is one of the main competitors, having won the Gold medal in the last editions of the World Athletics Championships. However, the reigning champion has seen a dip in form, not managing even 80m in his last two throws in the season. He finished third behind Neeraj and Jakub Vadlejch in the Doha Diamond League final with a best attempt of 85.88m, which also is his season best.
Neeraj’s season best of 88.67 came at the Doha Diamond League where he finished at the top step of the podium. Only Jakub Vadlejch (89.61m) and Julian Weber (88.72m) have better throws than Neeraj this season.
The Olympic Gold medalist is confident that he will come up with the goods in Budapest as India awaits the elusive world meet Gold.
“Competing and being consistent at the highest level against the world’s best athletes is definitely challenging. I want to give it my best, and if that happens, I will come back better than before,” Neeraj said ahead of the World Championships.
LONG JUMPERS IN FOCUS
Indian long jumpers Jeswin Aldrin (8.42m) and Murali Sreeshankar (8.41m) lead the world list this season and they will be hoping to make a splash in Budapest.
Jeswin Aldrin achieved his spectacular leap in Bellary in early March but since then he has been struggling to touch the 8m mark as he also faced fitness issues. His most recent outing was at the CITIUS Meeting in Bern, Switzerland which he won with 8.22m.
Sreeshankar has been more consistent than Aldrin. He achieved his personal best of 8.41m in Bhubaneswar in June and is entering the World Championships with his silver-winning jump of 8.37m in Bangkok in the Asian Championships.
He was also placed third in the Paris Diamond League on June 9 with 8.09m to become only the third Indian to finish in top-three in the prestigious event.
MEDAL FROM SABLE?
Avinash Sable, India’s national record holder in men’s 3000m steeplechase, will be hoping to put behind the Eugene World Championships disappointment and make a mark in Budapest.
Sable ran one of his slowest races in Eugene as he failed to live up to the hype, clocking 8:31.75s. However, he stormed back to win a sensational Silver at the Commonwealth Games last year, clocking 8:11.21s.
Sable has already participated in two Diamond League events, getting a taste of the competition at the highest level. In July, he clocked 8:11.63s to finish 6th in the Siesia Diamond League.
All eyes will also be on Jyoti Yarraji, who has been making waves in women’s 100m hurdles and teenage long jumper Shaili Singh, who trains under Anju Bobby George, as the two young women are set to make their World Athletics Championships debut.
WHERE TO WATCH WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS IN INDIA
Sports 18 and Jio Cinema will provide TV coverage and live streaming of the world meet in India.
INDIA AT WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2023 SCHEDULE
| Date | Time (IST) | Event | Athlete Name | Gender | Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19/08/2023 | 12:20 PM | 20KM RW | Akashdeep Singh, Vikash Singh & Paramjeet Singh | Men | Final |
| 19/08/2023 | 03:05 PM | 3000m SC | Avinash Sable | Men | Heats |
| 19/08/2023 | 03:55 PM | Long Jump | Shaili Singh | Women | Qualification |
| 19/08/2023 | 10:32 PM | 1500m | Ajay Kumar Saroj | Men | Heats |
| 19/08/2023 | 11:07 PM | Triple Jump | Praveen Chithravel, Abdulla Aboobacker & Eldhose Paul | Men | Qualification |
| 20/08/2023 | 10:45 AM | 20KM RW | Bhawna Jat | Women | Final |
| 20/08/2023 | 02:05 PM | High Jump | Sarvesh Anil Kushare | Men | Qualification |
| 20/08/2023 | 02:55 PM | 400MH | Santhosh Kumar Tamilarasan | Men | Heats |
| 20/08/2023 | 08:25 PM | Long Jump | Shaili Singh | Women | Final |
| 20/08/2023 | 09:00 PM | 1500m | Ajay Kumar Saroj | Men | Semifinal |
| 21/08/2023 | 11:03 PM | 400MH | Santhosh Kumar Tamilarasan | Men | Semifinal |
| 21/08/2023 | 11:10 PM | Triple Jump | Praveen Chithravel, Abdulla Aboobacker & Eldhose Paul | Men | Final |
| 22/08/2023 | 10:10 PM | 100MH | Jyothi Yarraji | Women | Heats |
| 22/08/2023 | 10:50 PM | 800m | Krishan Kumar | Men | Heats |
| 22/08/2023 | 11:28 PM | High Jump | Sarvesh Anil Kushare | Men | Final |
| 23/08/2023 | 01:12 AM | 3000m SC | Avinash Sable | Men | Final |
| 23/08/2023 | 01:50 PM | Javelin Throw | Annu Rani | Women | Qualification Group A |
| 23/08/2023 | 02:45 PM | Long Jump | Jeswin Aldrin & Murali Sreeshankar | Men | Qualification |
| 23/08/2023 | 11:15 PM | 3000m SC | Parul Chaudhary | Women | Heats |
| 24/08/2023 | 12:10 AM | 100MH | Jyothi Yarraji | Women | Semifinal |
| 24/08/2023 | 12:45 AM | 1500m | Ajay Kumar Saroj | Men | Final |
| 24/08/2023 | 01:20 AM | 400MH | Santosh Kumar Tamilarasan | Men | Final |
| 24/08/2023 | 10:30 AM | 35KM RW | Ram Baboo | Men | Final |
| 24/08/2023 | 11:00 PM | Long Jump | Jeswin Aldrin & Murali Sreeshankar | Men | Final |
| 25/08/2023 | 12:20 AM | 800m | Krishan Kumar | Men | Semifinal |
| 25/08/2023 | 12:52 AM | 100MH | Jyothi Yarraji | Women | Final |
| 25/08/2023 | 01:40 PM | Javelin Throw | Neeraj Chopra, DP Manu & Kishore Kumar Jena | Men | Qualification Group A |
| 25/08/2023 | 11:50 PM | Javelin Throw | Annu Rani | Women | Final |
| 26/08/2023 | 11:00 PM | 4x400m Relay | Amoj Jacob, Muhammed Ajmal, Muhammed Anas, Rajesh Ramesh, Anil Rajalingam & Mijo Chacko Kurian | Men | Heats |
| 27/08/2023 | 12:00 AM | 800m | Krishan Kumar | Men | Final |
| 27/08/2023 | 11:45 PM | Javelin Throw | Neeraj Chopra, DP Manu & Kishore Kumar Jena | Men | Final |
| 28/08/2023 | 12:35 AM | 3000m SC | Parul Chaudhary | Women | Final |
| 28/08/2023 | 01:07 AM | 4x400m Relay |