Asian Games: Asian test for Indian athletes’ world leap quest

Mumbai: “Neeraj bhai na rehne se thoda sa... jaise… unka fix rehta hai medal” (With Neeraj not being there, it feels a bit…his medal is usually fixed). Through this fragmented sentence, Rohit Yadav aptly sums up the absence of Neeraj Chopra.

India will have a 74-member athletics squad in Aichi-Nagoya for the Asian Games, but not the one athlete who carries an assured medal aura. The “fix” stamp, as per fellow javelin thrower Yadav.

The two-time Olympic and world championships medallist, and champion in the last two Asian Games, pulled out of the multi-sport event late last month due to an ankle ligament tear. His absence, dimming as it is to the athletics contingent’s medal ambitions, provides an opportunity for someone else to shine. Not only in terms of the quality of performances and medals, but also in using the continental platform as a springboard to a bigger presence at global level building up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Indians won 29 medals from track and field in the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, the most among all sports in volume, and nine more than in 2018 Jakarta (albeit two fewer gold). Just two among them qualified for the final at the 2024 Paris Olympics—silver medallist Chopra and Avinash Sable. Only a handful of them progressed to being competitive at the global level, and won medals at the 2026 Commonwealth Games (CWG).

They include Gulveer Singh, the 5000-10000m double medallist of Glasgow, Tejaswin Shankar, the decathlon doer, and Murali Sreeshankar, the long jumper rebounding from a crushing knee injury that kept him out of the Paris Games. Parul Chaudhary, the 5000m and 3000m steeplechase medallist of Hangzhou, had an unusually off-colour CWG but remains a rare Indian female face competing among the elite. Sable, marking his big-stage return in Japan from ACL surgery, was a rare countryman giving Chopra company in world-class Diamond League meets before the injury.

These names will attract most attention, and much will be expected from them, at this Asian Games as well. But it is the others—those who have shown promise of Asian level returns and sporadic quality performances without going a level higher yet—who’d hope that Nagoya’s Paloma Mizuho Stadium can turn into a stage of leap onto bigger avenues.

Take Rohit Yadav, for instance. The 25-year-old produced an 87.68m throw at the World Athletics silver level continental meet in Bhubaneswar last month. Only two Asians, and three athletes overall, have thrown better this season. Yadav sits behind Chopra, whose 88.05m came a day earlier at the Lausanne Diamond League.

This will be Yadav’s first Asian Games, after an elbow surgery took away 2023 Hangzhou. He doesn’t believe the Asian Games is the only door to go a floor higher, even if unlocking it comes with benefits.

“The moment can come any time, any way. The destination remains the same, which is to go to the top level,” Yadav told HT.

“Yes, the road does open up a bit and becomes easier if you medal at an event like the Asian Games. I already have a good team around me, but a young athlete may then get the benefits of forming a proper team,” the Uttar Pradesh thrower, who trains at the Inspire Institute of Sport in Ballari, Karnataka added.

“Doing well at the Asian Games can also give an athlete the belief that they can perform at a higher level.”

As Hangzhou showed, however, not every Asian Games medal in track and field can translate into big stage belief. For example, in javelin Kishore Jena sprung into limelight by joining Chopra for a 1-2 finish with a personal best of 87.54m in Hangzhou. He has since slid dramatically, managing only two 80-plus throws through a period of injuries and poor form.

Injuries have also derailed Yadav. “You play the big competitions consistently only if you remain fit,” he said.

That’s been the tale for many other Indian athletes who, at various points in their careers, have looked like taking a step higher, only to go a couple back.

Ancy Sojan has also been through her fair share of physical setbacks. One such came soon after the Hangzhou Games, where the long jumper won silver. She has since turned a significant chapter in India’s long jump history, breaking Anju Bobby George’s 22-year old national record with an effort of 6.88m at the inter-state meet in Bhubaneswar in June.

The 25-year-old has grown into one of Asia’s leading jumpers, with medals at the Asian Games and Asian Championships, both outdoor (2025, silver) and indoor (2026, bronze). The Kerala athlete believes she has it in her to advance to a level where she can rub shoulders with world-class jumpers.

“Of course, I think I have the ability,” Ancy told HT. “I’m looking forward to competing well and winning medals, not just at the Asian level but also at the global level. You need to be fit and consistent, only then can you hope to achieve any kind of success at the global level.”

The consistent jumper is leading a promising bunch of women jumpers in the country at present. There’s 22-year-old Shaili Singh, who jumped 6.76m in 2023, and Lakshadweep’s Mubassina Mohammed, 20, who is rising steadily and has a fluent technique. Ancy said having a solid group of competitors at home helps push each other.

“Indian women’s long jump is changing right now, and going in the right direction. Earlier, only Shaili and I had some really good performances. Now, there are a few more who have raised their performances. I hope they will be consistent. The competition is pushing us to train harder and increase our distances,” said Ancy, who trains at Reliance Foundation’s Navi Mumbai centre.

The first step to break into the global level, Ancy reckoned, is breaching the 7m mark. Doing that, or winning gold, is her goal for the Asian Games.

“At the global level, the competition is more intense. You have to get into the 7m bracket to be competitive there,” she said.

Yadav has shown a knack of coming up with solid throws, but is yet to do that at a big stage. The Glasgow CWG, where he managed a best of 81.56m, was “bad” in his words. Bouncing back at the continental event made him yearn for more.

“The throw that I made in Bhubaneswar, there’s no reason why I can’t do it at a stage like the Diamond League. But competing with the top guys on a consistent basis gives you the confidence that you can keep delivering these throws, and even do better.”

For that, Yadav hopes to add more international events to his calendar next season. For now, he has an Asian challenge to crack to conclude this season.

“If I do well here, it will be the perfect launchpad for next season, where my focus will be the Asian Championships and World Championships. The ultimate target, of course, is the 2028 Olympics.”