Neeraj Chopra To Lead 73-Member Indian Athletics Squad at Asian Games 2026

Neeraj Chopra to Lead India's 73-Member Athletics Squad at Asian Games 2026

Two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra will spearhead India's 73-member athletics squad at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, as he aims to defend his men's javelin throw title for the third consecutive time, according to reports citing Olympics.com. The Asian Games are scheduled to be held from September 19 to October 4, with 16 athletes in India's athletics contingent having won medals at the previous edition in Hangzhou, including five individual champions returning to defend their titles.

Chopra, the reigning Asian Games champion, will be joined in the men's javelin throw by Rohit Yadav, who recently recorded a personal best of 87.68m while winning at the World Athletics Silver Level Continental Tour meet in Bhubaneswar. However, a report from Hindustan Times mentions a career-best throw of 87.05m for Yadav at the National Inter-State Championships in Bhubaneswar, describing it as India's second-best throw of the season. The discrepancy in the reported marks could not be reconciled in the available coverage.

The squad also features Hangzhou 2023 champions Avinash Sable, Tajinderpal Singh Toor, Parul Chaudhary and Annu Rani, who will look to retain their respective titles. Sable, who won gold in the men's 3000m steeplechase and silver in the 5000m event at Hangzhou, will return after an injury-hit period. Toor will aim for a hat-trick of Asian Games shot put titles, while Parul Chaudhary has been selected for three events — 1500m, 5000m and 3000m steeplechase, according to Olympics.com.

Rajesh Ramesh, a member of India's gold medal-winning men's 4x400m relay team at Hangzhou, is also part of the squad. Other Hangzhou medallists included in the team are Jyothi Yarraji, Murali Sreeshankar, Tejaswin Shankar, Gulveer Singh, Mohammed Afsal, Ancy Sojan, Praveen Chithravel and Vithya Ramraj.

Tejas Shirse has also been selected for the men's 110m hurdles despite suffering two stress fractures in his left foot during the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. India will look to continue its strong performance in athletics after producing its best-ever Asian Games medal haul in the sport at Hangzhou 2023, where the country won 29 medals, including six gold, 14 silver and nine bronze.

Uttar Pradesh Athletes Eyeing Medals

Beyond the national headlines, a detailed report from Hindustan Times focuses on eight athletes from Uttar Pradesh who are part of the contingent, competing across distance running, jumps, throws, sprints and race walk. The report highlights several of them as genuine medal prospects, drawing on their recent achievements and national records.

Among the standout names is Gulveer Singh, an army man who has emerged as one of Asia's dominant male distance runners. He is the reigning Asian champion in 5000m and 10,000m after a double gold at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships, and he holds the national records in 3000m, 5000m and 10,000m. At the recent Glasgow Commonwealth Games, he took the 10,000m silver and the 5000m bronze, becoming the first Indian to achieve the double at a single CWG edition. With a world top-15 ranking in 10,000m and a sub-13-minute 5000m to his name, Gulveer is described as a genuine gold medal contender in both events, and a dark horse in the 1500m if tactics favour his strong finish.

Parul Chaudhary, from Iklauta village in UP, is hailed as India's most decorated female distance runner at Asian level. At Hangzhou, she created history by winning the 3000m steeplechase silver and, less than 24 hours later, snatched gold in the 5000m with a last-lap surge — the first Indian woman to win 5000m gold at the Asiad and the first to medal in both events at one Asian Games, according to the Hindustan Times report. She holds the national records in the steeplechase (9:12.46, set in 2025) and 5000m (15:04.26, bettered in France in 2026). In Japan, Parul is considered a top-two finish prospect in 5000m and steeplechase, with an outside chance in 1500m if she is in peak form.

Both Rohit Yadav and Annu Rani bring firepower in the javelin throw. Rohit, from Jaunpur district, has emerged as one of the world's leading throwers in 2026, with his career-best throw at the National Inter-State Championships in Bhubaneswar described as India's second-best of the season, according to Hindustan Times. Annu Rani, from Meerut, is the reigning Asian Games champion with a gold at Hangzhou with a 62.92m throw, and was the first Indian woman to win an Asian Games javelin gold, as per the same report.

The Hindustan Times feature also spotlights younger talents: Shahnavaz Khan, an 18-year-old long jumper from Pratapgarh, won bronze at the World U20 Championships in Eugene with a jump of 7.84m and broke the junior national record twice with jumps of 8.23m and 8.30m. Shaili Singh, from Jhansi, holds the U20 national record in the long jump with 6.76m. Neeru Pathak, a 400m runner from Aligarh, won gold in the 400m and 4x400m mixed relay at the National Open, with an individual best of 52.85 seconds. Priyanka, from Muzaffarnagar, is a two-time Olympian, CWG silver medallist in the 10,000m race walk, and holds national records in the 20km and 35km race walk, according to the report.

The article underscores that these eight athletes represent some of India's in-form medal prospects, with national record holders and recent global finalists among them, suggesting a strong showing in Japan is anticipated from this cohort.

Implications for India's Medal Hopes

The selection of a large and experienced contingent signals India's ambition to build on its best-ever Asian Games athletics campaign. With multiple reigning champions, record holders, and young breakthroughs, the team appears well-poised to challenge for a significant medal tally in Aichi-Nagoya. While the specific javelin distance reported for Rohit Yadav differs between sources, his inclusion alongside Chopra strengthens India's prospects in that event. The squad's blend of veterans and newcomers, as highlighted in both national and state-focused reports, indicates a depth that could translate into podium finishes across a range of disciplines.

As the Games approach, attention will likely focus on Chopra's bid for a historic third consecutive gold, as well as the performances of other defending champions like Sable, Toor, Parul and Annu Rani. The team's overall success, however, may also depend on the less heralded athletes from states like Uttar Pradesh, who have shown the form and records to spring surprises on the continental stage.