Indian Athletics Team Set for Asian Indoor Championships in China

Indian Team for Asian Indoor Athletics Championships

New Delhi, Jan 8: Tajinderpal Singh Toor, a two-time Asian Indoor champion in men's shot put, will captain a 17-member Indian squad at the upcoming 12th Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, which is set to occur from February 6 to 8 in Tianjin, China.

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) revealed the roster for the Indian team on Thursday, which features the talented shot putter Samardeep Singh Gill. The athletes are scheduled to leave for the continental indoor event on February 3.

Toor achieved a remarkable gold medal performance at the last Asian Indoor Championships in Tehran, Iran, with a throw of 19.72m. The 31-year-old athlete from Punjab holds the national outdoor record of 21.77m, established in 2023 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. He is also a two-time Asian Games champion and previously won the shot put title at the 10th Asian Indoor Championships held in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.

Additionally, promising long jumper Shahnawaz Khan and seasoned triple jumper Praveen Chithravel will kick off their 2026 season at the championships in China.

Other notable members of the men's team include Tejaswin Shankar, competing in heptathlon, and Manikanta Hoblidhar, who will participate in the 60m event.

On the women's side, top sprinters Nithya Gandhe and Abhinaya Rajarajan will compete in the 60m dash, while Moumita Mondal will take part in both the 60m hurdles and the women's long jump.

In the previous edition held in Iran, 13 Indian athletes, comprising six women and seven men, participated in the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships 2024. India finished the event with a total of four medals: three gold and one silver. Notable performances came from men's shot putter Toor, women's hurdler Jyothi Yarraji, and Harmilan Bains, with Ankita earning the only silver in the women's 3000m race.

Here is the complete list of the Indian national athletics team: Men: Manikanta Hoblidhar (60m), Tejas Shirse (60m hurdles), J Adrash Ram (high jump), CV Anurag and Shahnawaz Khan (long jump), Praveen Chithravel (triple jump), Samardeep Singh Gill, Tajinderpal Singh Toor (shot put), Tejaswin Shankar (heptathlon). Women: Nithya Gandhe, Abhinaya Rajarajan (60m), Moumita Mondal and Pragyan Prasanti Sahu (60m hurdles), Pooja (high jump), Ancy Sojan and Moumita Mondal (long jump), Yogita (shot put), and KA Anamika (Pentathlon).