India's Mixed Performance at World Athletics Relays 2026: New Record Set

Disappointing Results for Indian Teams

India faced a challenging experience at the World Athletics Relays 2026 held in Gaborone, failing to have any of its five teams qualify for the upcoming 2027 World Championships. Despite this setback, the mixed 4x100m relay team achieved a notable accomplishment by setting a new national record on Sunday.

A Glimmer of Hope

The mixed 4x100m relay team, featuring Ragul Kumar, Nithya Gandhe, Animesh Kujur, and Sneha Sathyanarayana Shanuvalli, clocked an impressive 41.35 seconds. Although they finished sixth in their heat, their performance established a new national record, surpassing the previous mark of 42.30 seconds set earlier this year in Chandigarh.

Challenges for Other Relay Teams

In the mixed 4x400m relay, a secondary Indian squad, including Theerthesh P. Shetty, Kumari Saloni, Nihal William, and Rashdeep Kaur, finished fifth in their heat with a time of 3:19.40. Notably, Olympians Amoj Jacob and Ansa Babu, who competed on Saturday, were not part of this race.

Jacob returned for the men's 4x400m event, joining Dharmveer Choudhary, Rajesh Ramesh, and Vishal Thennarasu Kayalvizhi. Unfortunately, the team could not finish the race due to Jacob suffering from cramps, resulting in a Did Not Finish (DNF) status.

The women's 4x100m team, consisting of Tamanna, Nithya Gandhe, Sudeshna Shivankar, and Sneha Sathyanarayana Shanuvalli, recorded a time of 53.90 seconds, placing them last in their heat. Additionally, the men's 4x100m team faced disqualification due to a baton drop during a changeover.

Earlier in the competition, four Indian teams had also failed to qualify despite achieving their season-best timings.