Five Indian athletes to watch out for at World Athletics Championship 2022

Until now, India has won only one medal in the event.

The Indian Athletics team is gearing up for the upcoming World Athletics Championship which is set to start from July 15 to July 24 in Oregon, USA. When it comes to the competition, India hasn't had a rich history and has only won one medal. That solitary medal came way back in 2003 when Former Long Jumper Anju Bobby George won the bronze medal in Paris. In spite of this, India has high hopes this time around. 

The Athletics Federation of India has recently announced the team for the World Athletics Championship. And none other than 2020 Javelin Olympics Champion Neeraj Chopra is the standout name on the list. There will be a lot of pressure on him to live up to the expectations of a billion Indians. Besides Neeraj, India also has some promising names who can write a new history in the tournament.

Today we are going to discover 5 Indian athletes to watch out for at the World Athletics Championships 2022.

MP Jabir- Men's 400m hurdles

MP Jabir competes in the 400 meters and 400-meter hurdle events. His recent performances in track and field have been sensational for India. A year ago, he became the first Indian to compete in the 400 meters hurdles event at the 2020 Olympics. Jabir represents the Indian Navy team in the National Games despite being from Kerala.

Jabir has won bronze medals at the Asian Athletics Championships twice and might have a good chance of winning a medal at the World Athletics Championship as well. Although he currently ranks 30th in the 400 meters hurdles world rankings, he has been in excellent form lately. The latest time that Jabir has achieved is 49.76 seconds at the JLN Stadium, Chennai, on 14 June 2022.

Avinash Sable- Men's 3000m steeplechase

Avinash Sable is considered India's brightest prospect for a medal in this World Athletics Championship. In Steeplechase, his story has been nothing short of a fairytale and a world championship medal could be the defining moment in his career. Despite only taking up this sport in 2015, Sable holds the national record in 3000m steeplechase.

In his first international competition, the 2019 Asian Athletics Championship, Sable won a silver medal and announced his arrival in grand style. He also competed in the 2020 Olympics but finished seventh in the heat. The 27-year-old has already set two national records this year and is in good form heading into the World Championships.

Tajinderpal Singh Toor- Shot Put

A Punjab-born shot putter, Tajinderpal Singh is India's best thrower to date. Last year, he set the national record and Asian record for shot put with a throw of 21.49m. A gold medalist at the 2018 Asian Games and 2019 Asian Championships, Toor has set his sights on a bigger prize at the upcoming World Athletics Championship.

At last year's Olympics, Tajinderpal Singh was seen heavily bandaged on his shoulder due to injuries sustained in training. He is fully fit and running this time around. Singh currently ranks 30th in the world. And achieved his best throw of 20.34 metres at the National State Senior Athletics Championship this June.

Murali Sreeshankar- Long Jump

Murali Sreeshankar will be seen holding Indian hopes in the Long Jump event. Only 23 years old, the national record holder is already making waves on the Indian athletic scene. He is coached by his father who himself was a successful triple jump athlete and won the silver medal at the South Asian Games. 

In the past few months, Sreeshankar has been in terrific form after last year's disappointing Olympics campaign. In the first half of the year, he has already crossed the 8.20m mark three times. And has two of the longest jumps out of the top five. He is coming off a gold medal from the Inter-state Championship in June and could be the next hero of Indian athletics.

Neeraj Chopra- Javelin Throw

Since winning a gold medal at the Olympics in 2020, Neeraj Chopra has become a new sensation in Indian sports. Following the Olympics, Chopra took a short break due to fitness concerns and in preparation for the World Championship and Asian Games. He has been training under a new coach and made a strong return to the pitch last month.

Neeraj Chopra won the silver medal in the recently concluded Stockholm Diamond League, setting his personal best and national record of 89.94 metres. In a country where cricket dominates other sports by a wide margin, he has become an icon of sports. Bringing home a medal in the World Championship will announce his return to prominence and write another glorious chapter in India's glorious sporting history.

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