Neeraj Bows Out, Sable and Yarraji Take Center Stage: India’s New Dream Team Heads to Asian Athletics 2025

Neeraj Chopra, the Olympic champion, will not compete for the Indian squad at the Asian Athletics Championships 2025 in Gumi, South Korea, as the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) named a 59-member squad on Friday. The championship is scheduled for May 27-31.

 

Chopra chose to skip the event to compete in the Doha Diamond League on May 16 and the Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru on May 24. The Indian unit looks to steeplechase hero Avinash Sable and hurdles star Jyothi Yarraji to lead the team. Chopra last competed at the Asian Championships in 2017 and enjoys priorizing international circuits and the World Championship later this year.

 

The Indian contingent includes some top athletes including Sable (men's 3000m steeplechase), long-distance runner Gulveer Singh, decathlete Tejaswin Shankar and women’s 100m hurdles national record holder Jyothi Yarraji. In the absence of Chopra, Sachin Yadav and Yashvir Singh will compete in the men’s javelin throw.

 

Asian Games gold medal-winning shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor was left off the list of athletes for failing to achieve the Asian qualification standard at the Federation Cup. Other athletes on the squad include Parul Chaudhary (women’s 3000m steeplechase), triple jumper Praveen Chithravel and long jumper Shaili Singh.

 

India had finished third in Bangkok in the previous Asian Athletics Championships with 27 medals, including 6 gold medal triumpths. The contingent hopes to improve upon this record with Sable and Yarraji likely to play an important role in this success.

 

Source: Hindustan Times