The World Athletics Championships 2025 will begin on September 13 in Tokyo, and India will field a strong contingent of 19 athletes.
Among the biggest attractions is Olympic and World Champion Neeraj Chopra, who has secured a wild card entry in the men’s javelin throw. He will be joined by Sachin Yadav, Rohit Yadav, and Yashvir Singh, marking the first time India will have four javelin throwers at the World Championships.
At the 2023 edition, India made history when three javelin throwers—Neeraj Chopra, Kishore Kumar Jena, and DP Manu—reached the finals, with Neeraj clinching the gold medal and the others finishing inside the top six.
Apart from javelin, several other Indian athletes have also earned their place by achieving qualification standards. Parul Chaudhary will compete in the women’s 3000m steeplechase, Gulveer Singh in the men’s 5000m, and Praveen Chithravel in the men’s triple jump.
India’s sprint history will also see a new chapter as Animesh Kujur becomes the first Indian male sprinter to participate in a World Championships sprint event. He qualified for the men’s 200m through rankings and currently holds the national record in both 100m and 200m.
In long jump, Murali Sreeshankar managed to qualify despite an injury setback. Returning from knee surgery, he competed in just five events this season, but his leap of 8.06m at the Inter-State Championships was enough to place him 36th in the global rankings and secure the final qualifying spot.