Federation Cup Athletics 2025: Indian athletes gear up for final shot at Asian C'ships spot

The biggest national athletics event, the Federation Athletics Cup, is all set to return this week, bringing a four-day multi-event sporting carnival to Kochi, Kerala, scheduled from April 21 to 24.

India's top athletes will be in action, and this edition holds extra significance, as it serves as the final test for many before embarking on their continental quest at the Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea next month.

The final Indian squad for the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships will be selected based on performances at this tournament.

While several athletes have already met the qualification standards, some big names are still vying to breach the Asian qualifying marks set by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) or aiming to cement their spot by finishing in the top two of the Indian rankings.

Here’s a detailed look at the Indian athletes fighting for an Asian spot at the 28th Federation Cup Athletics Championships:

Sprints and Hurdles

India has traditionally not been known for sprinting, but recent years have seen a rise in domestic competition in these events, offering a glimmer of hope for international success.

A prime example was the 2025 Grand Prix-I in Bengaluru, where two Indian sprinters went past the previous national record in the men's 100m and also breached the Asian qualifying mark.

Gurindervir Singh (10.20s) and Manikanta Hoblidhar (10.22s) achieved this feat, but their spots are not confirmed yet, as Animesh Kujur is also in contention.

Animesh, along with national record holder Amlan Borgohain, will be eyeing the 200m Asian qualifying mark of 20.53s.

Defending Asian medalist Jyothi Yarraji has already breached the qualifying mark in both the 200m and 100m hurdles. However, she may face strong competition from Nithya Gandhe, the current leader in the women’s 100m.

Others like S.S. Sneha and Abhinaya Rajarajan (both 100m), along with Pragyan Prashant (100m hurdles), will be pushing hard to challenge the leaders and secure a place in the Indian contingent.

Middle and long distance

India has witnessed major improvements in middle and long-distance running, with stars like Avinash Sable, Gulveer Singh, Ankita Dhyani, and Parul Chaudhary making their mark.

However, 2025 hasn’t been ideal for some top middle-distance runners like Harmilan Bains and KM Deeksha, both of whom have had injury setbacks.

In their absence, athletes like K. Chanda and Twinkle Chaudhary (800m), Lili Das and Ankita (1500m) have already met the Asian qualifying standards and will look to improve their marks at the Federation Cup.

Defending Asian Champion Ajay Kumar Saroj (1500m) is also competing, although he is yet to hit the Asian qualifying mark this season.

In the long-distance events, Sawan Barwal and Sanjivani Jadhav are hoping to join the squad alongside current Indian leaders Gulveer Singh and Seema in the 5000m

Jumps

The jumps category is expected to be one of the star attractions at the 2025 Federation Cup, with multiple contenders in each event fighting for qualification.

In the women’s long jump, Shaili Singh and Moumita Mondal have already qualified, while Ancy Sojan, an Asian Games medalist, is still chasing the mark.

On the men’s side, no one has yet breached the qualifying standard in long jump, but top names like Jeswin Aldrin, Anees Yahiya, and Aditya Kumar are in the mix.

In the triple jump, Praveen Chithravel and Abdulla Aboobacker have already qualified with 17m+ jumps and are leading the pack.

In high jump, Sarvesh Kushare, Pooja, and Abhinaya Shetty have all cleared the qualifying marks in their respective events.

Throws

India’s men’s javelin throw field is among the strongest in the world. This year alone, ten Indian throwers have surpassed the Asian qualifying mark of 75.36m.

However, with only two spots available, the competition will be intense, and all athletes will aim to improve their season bests at the Federation Cup.

Neeraj Chopra (84.20m), Sachin Yadav (84.39m), and Rohit Yadav (80.47m) currently lead the Indian charts, while Kishore Jena, Vikrant Malik, and Shivpal Singh are chasing hard.

On the women’s side, throwers like Tajinderpal Singh Toor (Shot Put), Seema (Discus Throw), and Annu Rani (Javelin Throw) have already met the qualification mark and face little domestic competition.