Murali Sreeshankar Makes Eleventh Hour World Championship Qualification Cut

Last Updated:August 28, 2025, 00:02 IST

Indian long jump athlete Sreeshankar made it to the 36-strong list set to compete in Tokyo, as he secured he last spot after World Athletics updated the rankings on Wednesday.

Murali Sreeshankar. (X)

Murali Sreeshankar, who missed the 2024 Olympics due to knee surgery despite qualifying, has made it to the list of 36 long jumpers set to compete in Tokyo, securing the last spot after World Athletics (WA) updated the rankings on Wednesday.

Since his return to action in July, Sreeshankar has won five consecutive competitions, with his best being an 8.13m jump that earned him gold at the World Athletics Continental Tour bronze-level event in Bhubaneswar on August 10. However, he did not breach the automatic qualification mark of 8.27m.

Pooja (women’s 1500m), Sarvesh Anil Kushare (men’s high jump), and Ankita Dhyani (women’s 3000m steeplechase) also made the cut in the latest World Athletics update.

The deadline for qualification was August 24, after which WA updated the Road to Tokyo list.

An athlete can automatically qualify for the World Championships by surpassing the qualification mark. The remaining slots required to meet the total entry number for each event, pre-determined by World Athletics, will be filled through the world ranking quota.

It is now up to the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) to name the team, with its selection committee meeting on Thursday for this purpose. WA rules allow national federations to exclude athletes who make the cut.

For instance, 20km race walker Akshdeep Singh is placed 47th out of 50 athletes set to compete in Tokyo, but he has not participated in any competition for the last four months, with his last event being on April 19. The AFI may want to assess his fitness condition.

Meanwhile, Odisha’s national record holder Animesh Kujur is set to be the first Indian to compete in the shorter sprint at the World Championships, having made the cut in the 200m.

Similar to the 2023 edition in Budapest, Hungary, at least three Indians are likely to compete in the men’s javelin throw event in Tokyo. The number may increase to four if Rohit Yadav, who won gold at the National Inter-State Championships in Chennai on Sunday, moves up the world ranking quota. He will qualify if any of the 36 above him withdraws.

Besides Chopra, who has already received a wild card as the defending champion, Sachin Yadav and Yashvir Singh are in the 36-athlete bracket. Chopra also surpassed the automatic qualification mark of 85.50m.

A source said Rohit is certain to qualify for the event as the fourth Indian men’s javelin thrower.

In addition to Chopra, only Parul Chaudhary (women’s 3000m steeplechase), Gulveer Singh (men’s 5,000m), and Praveen Chithravel (men’s triple jump) have surpassed the automatic qualification mark. Avinash Sable, who also achieved automatic qualification, has been ruled out due to injury and subsequent surgery.

Women’s 100m hurdler Jyothi Yarraji was in contention until she ended her season due to injury and subsequent surgery.

ALSO READ| Brazil To Play South Korea, Japan In Exhibition Encounters In October

News18 Sports brings you the latest updates, live commentary, and highlights from cricket, football, tennis, badmintion, wwe and more. Catch breaking news, live scores, and in-depth coverage. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated!

Location :

First Published:

August 27, 2025, 23:59 IST

News sports Murali Sreeshankar Makes Eleventh Hour World Championship Qualification Cut

Read More