Athletics
World Athletics U-20 Championships: Indian athletes to watch out for
Here, we bring you a list of Indian athletes whom you should watch out for in the World Athletics U-20 Championships.
A total of 28 Indian athletes will be competing in World Athletics U-20 Championships in Nairobi
Athletics was one of the most successful sports for India at the Tokyo Olympics. Apart from Neeraj Chopra's gold in javelin throw, the country saw a spirited performance by Kamalpreet Kaur in Women's Discus Throw, by Avinash Sable in Men's Steeplechase and by the men's 4x400m relay team.
But, the Tokyo Olympics are now a thing of the past. There are other events to look forward to, one of them being the World U-20 Athletics Championships.
The World U-20 Athletics Championships have been a breeding ground for many future champions, including Neeraj Chopra, who first shot to the limelight with a world record throw in this event back in 2016.
The World U-20 Athletics Championships 2021 is scheduled to be held from 17th August to 22nd August 2021 in Nairobi, Kenya, and India is sending a total of 28 young athletes to compete in the African country.
Here, we bring you a list of Indian athletes whom you should watch out for in the U-20 World Athletics Championships:
Priya Mohan
Event: 400m, 4x400m Relay
Priya Mohan is one of the most talented track athletes India has currently. Just 18-year-old Priya Mohan has been giving some stiff competition to even the senior athletes of the country in recent times. There were even talks of the youngster making it to the Indian relay squad for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but she was eventually left out in favour of frequent national campers. Competing for the state of Karnataka in the domestic circuit, Priya Mohan holds a personal best of 53.21 seconds in 400m sprint.
Amit Khatri
Event: 10,000m Race Walk
An 18-year-old from the northern Indian state of Haryana, Amit Khatri, specialises in Race Walking. The youngster qualified for the World U-20 Athletics Championships by clocking 43:31.50 in the Junior Federation Cup earlier this month. Khatri possesses a personal best of 40:40.97, which is also a 10,000m race walk under-20 national record.
Kunwer Ajai Singh Rana
Event: Javelin Throw
A javelin thrower from the state of Punjab, Kunwer Ajai Singh Rana, is 19-year-old. He has a personal best of 74.75m, which helped him qualify for the World U-20 Athletics Championships. With javelin throw being the newfound love for the Indian sports fans, there surely will be a lot of hopes riding on Kunwer Ajai Singh Rana.
Anu Kumar
Event: 800m
An Asian Junior Athletics Champion in 800m, Anu Kumar has been on the radar for quite some time now. Hailing from the state of Uttarakhand, the 18-year-old possesses a personal best of 1:49.25 seconds in 800m. Anu Kumar had also recently clinched the silver medal in the National Inter-State Athletics held in June ahead of the reigning Asian Games champion Manjit Singh.
Vipin Kumar
Event: Hammer Throw
Hammer Throw is one of the least popular sports in India, and so Vipin Kumar's qualification for the World U-20 Athletics Championships naturally draws some eyeballs. An 18-year-old from Uttar Pradesh, Vipin Kumar, qualified with a throw of 68.94m – a personal best for him, during the Junior Federation Cup earlier this month.
Shaili Singh
Event: Long Jump
Along with Priya Mohan, Shaili Singh is probably one of the more well-known names on this list. A 17-year-old from Uttar Pradesh, Shaili Singh, holds the national record in women's under-20 long jump with a distance of 6.48m. She was ranked number 2 in the world earlier this year but has now slipped down to number 11. Training under the guidance of the World Championships medallist Anju Bobby George, Shaili Singh is widely regarded as one of India's best talents in athletics.
