5 Indian athletes to watch out for in World Athletics Championships

The World Athletics Championships, the pinnacle of track and field, have begun in Tokyo. The fastest runners and the greatest throwers in the world have gathered in one place to fight for the ultimate prize – the title of world champion.

In a meeting of this scale, the contest is not always about beating others. Often, the real challenge is against oneself. That is the beauty of athletics — every performance is a test of personal limits.

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Take Animesh Kujur, India’s fastest man. He may not be among the world’s best yet, but unless he pushes his own boundaries, how will other Indian athletes find someone to chase?

With that in mind, here are five Indians to watch closely at the World Athletics Championships:

Neeraj Chopra

Without question, India’s biggest star is in javelin. Led by Neeraj Chopra, the men’s javelin throw will see four Indians in action. An all-India podium may be unlikely, but the very idea reflects how far the country has come in the event.

This season has been unusual for Neeraj. He finally crossed the 90m mark with a throw of 90.23m at the Doha Diamond League, but even that was not enough for victory, with Julian Weber producing a better effort. Now, at the World Championships, he will also face the Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem, setting up a thrilling contest.

Animesh Kujur

Animesh Kujur is set to make history as the first Indian sprinter to run the 100m and 200m at the World Championships. His focus will be on the 200m, where his personal best is 20.32 seconds.

In the build-up, his coach, Martin Owens, told India Today that the aim was to absorb the atmosphere and learn as much as possible. If Animesh matches or improves his personal best in Tokyo, it would be a landmark moment for Indian sprinting.

Murali Sreeshankar

Long jumper Murali Sreeshankar has one of the most remarkable comeback stories in Indian athletics. After recovering from a serious knee injury, he has steadily built momentum this season. His late surge included winning the Indian Open in Bhubaneswar with a leap of 8.13m, his best jump of the year.

He may still be some distance from his peak, but his return is a powerful story of resilience and self-belief.

Gulveer Singh

India’s progress is not limited to sprints. In distance running, Gulveer Singh has been breaking records. He holds the national marks in the 3000m, 5000m, and 10,000m.

He will compete in both the 5000m and 10,000m in Tokyo. A medal might be out of reach, but improving on his personal bests would still be a huge achievement at this stage of his career.

Annu Rani

India’s javelin strength is not just on the men’s side. Uttar Pradesh’s Annu Rani has shown signs of returning to form, with back-to-back throws beyond 60m in recent competitions. Her best this season ranks her 14th in the world.

If she can produce a season-best performance in Tokyo on September 20, she could surprise the field.

All Indian Athletes at the World Athletics Championships - (Men)

• Neeraj Chopra (Javelin Throw) - Season best of 90.23m at the Doha Diamond League, crossing 90m for the first time. Won the Paris Diamond League with 88.16m. Claimed victory at the Neeraj Chopra Classic with 86.18m and finished second at the Diamond League Final with 85.01m.
• Sachin Yadav (Javelin Throw) - Gold at the National Games with 84.39m, silver at the Asian Athletics Championships with 85.16m, and 82.33m at the Neeraj Chopra Classic.
• Yashvir Singh (Javelin Throw) - Season best of 82.57m at the Asian Athletics Championships.
• Rohit Yadav (Javelin Throw) - Gold at the National Inter-State Championships with 83.65m. Also won the Taiwan Athletics Open with 74.42m.
• Murali Sreeshankar (Long Jump) - Returned from knee surgery and won the Indian Open (World Athletics Continental Tour) in Bhubaneswar with a leap of 8.13m, his season’s best.
• Praveen Chithravel (Triple Jump) - Equalled the national record of 17.37m at the Federation Cup. Won silver at the Asian Athletics Championships (16.90m) and at the World University Games.
• Abdulla Aboobacker (Triple Jump) - Set a personal best of 17.19m at the India Open in Bengaluru in March. Has not crossed that mark since.
• Sarvesh Anil Kushare (High Jump) - Won the Inter-State Championships with a best of 2.24m, 0.3m short of his personal best from 2022. Finished fifth at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi.
• Gulveer Singh (5000m, 10,000m) - Broke the Indian 10,000m record with 27:00.22 at The TEN in California. Set the national indoor 5000m record with 12:59.77 at Boston University. Won double gold at the Asian Athletics Championships (5000m in 13:24.77 and 10,000m in 28:38.63). Broke the 3000m national record with 7:34.49 in Budapest.
• Animesh Kujur (200m) - The first Indian male sprinter to qualify for the World Championships. His 2025 season has been a breakthrough, with national records in both the 100m and 200m. Ran 10.18s in the 100m at a meet in Greece and 20.32s in the 200m at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, where he won bronze despite illness.
• Tejas Shirse (110m Hurdles) - Broke the national record in the 60m hurdles at the Elite Indoor Track Miramas Meeting. Later suffered a hamstring tear and a navicular bone injury that disrupted his season. Won gold in the 110m hurdles at the National Inter-State Championships with 13.60s, though short of the qualification mark of 13.27s. Secured his spot at the World Championships via world rankings, making his debut at this level.
• Servin Sebastian (20km Race Walk) - Won bronze at the Asian Athletics Championships with a personal best of 1:21:14. Also won the Indian Open Race Walk with 1:21:46.47.
• Ram Baboo (35km Race Walk) - Won gold at the Indian Open Race Walk with a time of 2:32:53.50.
• Sandeep Kumar (35km Race Walk) - Won silver at the Indian Open Race Walk with 2:35:05.75.

All Indian Athletes at the World Athletics Championships - (Women)

• Parul Chaudhary (3000m Steeplechase) - The 30-year-old has been improving steadily. Finished 16th at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest with a personal best of 9:24.29. Enters this edition with a silver at the Asian Athletics Championships, having set a new national record of 9:12.46.
• Ankita Dhyani (3000m Steeplechase) - At 23, Ankita has marked 2025 as a breakout year. Transitioned from 5000m to steeplechase, winning gold at the National Games with 9:53.63. Improved her PB to 9:44.05 at the Mangrum Invitational in the USA. Won silver at the World University Games with another PB of 9:31.99.
• Annu Rani (Javelin Throw) - The Olympian missed a medal at the Asian Athletics Championships after failing to cross 60m. Regained form before the world meet, winning gold at the Wieslaw Maniak Memorial in August with 62.59m, close to her personal best.
• Priyanka Goswami (35km Race Walk) - Holds the national record in the 35km race walk with 2:56:34 at the Dudinska 50 in Slovakia. Won gold in the Austrian Championships 10km walk with 47:54.
• Pooja (800m, 1500m) - 2025 has been a breakthrough year for Pooja in middle-distance running. At the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, she won bronze in the 800m with a personal best of 2:01.89 and silver in the 1500m with 4:10.83. At the Taiwan Open, she won double gold, clocking 2:02.79 in the 800m and 4:11.63 in the 1500m. Added another gold in the 1500m at the World Continental Bronze Meet in Bhubaneswar.