Asian Games 2026: Annu Rani dropped from Indian athletics squad

Last edition's gold medallist javelin thrower Annu Rani, rising long jumper Shahnavaz Khan and sprinter Nithya Gandhe were on Friday dropped from India's Asian Games athletics team due to performance and medical-related reasons, bringing down the total number of Japan-bound track and field members to 74.

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) had earlier named 77 athletes for the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya but the team was further trimmed after the Indian Athletics Series Final at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Thursday, which served as the confirmatory event.

"Annu did not achieve qualification mark (set by AFI) in the final trial (on Thursday), hence not selected for the Asian Games," AFI selection committee chairman Adille Sumariwalla said.

"Nithya and Shahnavaz will not go for Asian Games due to poor performance and medical reasons," he added.

The decision to leave out the trio was taken at a virtual conference of the AFI selection committee on Friday. The selection committee had a brief meeting Thursday night also.

The remaining 74 athletes will depart for Japan from New Delhi on Saturday. They will have a short acclimatisation camp at the University of Tsukuba near Tokyo. They will reach Aichi-Nagoya on September 21, two days before the start of the athletics events at the Asian Games.

"The Indian Athletics Series Final was a confirmatory event and not a qualifying one. So, those who have breached the qualifying standards are confirmed. But those who breached the qualifying marks after the last qualifying event (National Inter-State) can't be picked," he added.

Hammer thrower Nirbhay Chaudhary shattered the previous national record of 70.73m with an effort of 71.02m on Thursday to breach the qualifying mark of 69.12m. But he could not be considered for the Asian Games as he began his season only in August.

'Sarvesh, Chithravel, Yarraji cleared'

Sumariwalla said high jumper Sarvesh Kushare, triple jumper Praveen Chithravel and 100m hurdler Jyothi Yarraji, all national record holders, have been cleared, and so was 400m hurdler Yashas Palaksha. The quartet were carrying injuries and did not compete in the Indian Athletics Series Final on Thursday.

"Doctors said they (Chithravel, Sarvesh and Jyothi) are fine, everything will be fine by then. There is no problem with Yashas also," said Sumariwalla, a former AFI president and currently World Athletics vice president.

The athletics events begin on September 13 which is more than 10 days remaining.

Sumariwalla also said that the AFI is hopeful of the Asian Games organisers allowing last edition double medallist Avinash Sable to also run in the 5000m race, in addition to his pet 3000m steeplechase event for which he has been confirmed.

Annu struggling whole season

The 34-year-old Annu, in the twilight of her career, has not breached the Asian Games qualifying mark of 57.62m set by the AFI in eight competitions this season. She won her event here on Thursday with a season best throw of 57.50m.

She won the gold medal in the last Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in 2023 with a throw of 62.92m. Since then, her performance has been on a downhill. In 2024, she had best of 60.68m, and did better in 2025 with 62.59m.

She last touched the 60m mark in August 2025 during the National Inter-State Championships with a 61.05m throw. She has been on the chopping blocks of the AFI and given the last chance to breach the qualifying mark. She has a personal best of 63.82m which she recorded in 2022 and still stands as the national record.

For the 18-year-old Shahnavaz, it has been an unfortunate turn of events. Considered as the next big long jumper after Murali Sreeshankar, the youngster jumped 8.30m at the National Inter-State Championships in June.

He then won a bronze in the World U20 Championships in Eugene, USA, in August with 7.84m. But he has been carrying a minor injury and he finished sixth with 7.43m at the Indian Athletics Series Final here on Thursday.

The 26-year-old Nithya, who was entered for the 4x100m relay race in the Asian Games, finished ninth in the women's 100m race on Thursday with a time of 11.93 seconds. She has a season's best of 11.59 seconds and a personal best of 11.41 seconds.

Harita Bhadra, who ran 11.22 seconds to win the 100m race on Thursday and record the second fastest time in terms of personal best, could come in for the women's 4x100m relay in place of Nithya.

Harita was picked to run the 200m and 4x100m mixed relay in the Asian Games. She cannot run in the individual 100m race without the approval of the Asian Games organisers.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Bridge Desk. It is published from a syndicated feed.)