Asian Games 2026: Why did Jyothi Yarraji withdraw from women's 100m hurdles heats?
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Yarraji was a silver medal winner from last edition’s Asian Games
India’s hope for a medal in the women’s 100m hurdles at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya faced a major setback as Jyothi Yarraji did not start her first-round heat on Saturday.
Yarraji, who is the reigning silver medallist in the event and a national record holder, was a medal hopeful in the event for India. However, she did not turn up for the first round.
The 27-year-old was supposed to compete for a place in the final in Heat 1. But the official Asian Games website displayed a DNS (Did Not Start) beside her name.
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Why Jyothi Yarraji missed the women’s 100m hurdles race?
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Jyothi is suspected of carrying a minor stress injury in her knee. She was only included in India’s 75-member athletics squad for the Asian Games after receiving fitness clearance at the last minute. The Andhra Pradesh hurdler is
Incidentally, she had undergone surgery on her right knee to repair an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL).
The hurdler from Andhra Pradesh did not finish the 100m final at the World Athletics Silver Level Continental Tour in Bhubaneswar in late August and has been out of action since then.
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She was also out of action from the Indian Athletics Final Series event held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi earlier this month.
According to the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), the 27-year-old pulled out in the final minutes after feeling pain and discomfort during the warm-up.
“Jyothi was fit and trained fully throughout the preparatory camp. During her warm-up for the women’s 100m hurdles today, she felt discomfort, and the coaching team decided to withdraw her from the race as a precaution,” the AFI said in a statement shared on their official X account.
She had returned to action in June 2026, after a year-long rehabilitation following surgery on her knee in July 2025.
Why did Jyothi Yarraji not participate in the women’s 100m hurdles heats at Asian Games 2026?
Jyothi registered a DNS in the event, with the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) later saying in a statement that she felt discomfort during her warm-up and the coaching team decided to withdraw her from the race as a precaution.
Why Jyothi Yarraji’s late withdrawal is a big setback for Indian contingent at Asian Games 2026?
Jyothi is a medallist in the event, having finished with a silver in 2022 Hangzhou edition and was also a medal hopeful in the women’s 100m hurdles.
What’s next for Jyothi Yarraji?
Jyothi was scheduled to participate in just one event at he 2026 Asian Games. She would now want to recuperate from the latest setback and return to action next season.
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