Ten Reliance Foundation Athletes To Represent India At Asian Athletics Championships In Korea

Last Updated:May 26, 2025, 15:49 IST

Reliance Foundation-backed 10 Indian athletes will take part in the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, Korea, a key event before the Asian Games.

Asian Athletics Championship will see 10 athletes from the Reliance Foundation

A stellar contingent of 10 athletes supported by Reliance Foundation is set to represent India at the Asian Athletics Championships 2025, taking place in Gumi, Republic of Korea, from May 27. This continental championship will be a key milestone ahead of the Asian Games next year, offering a critical platform for the region’s finest talent to shine.

The athletes are part of the Reliance Foundation’s high-performance programme aimed at enabling Indian athletes to excel at the global level. From grassroots development to elite performance, Reliance Foundation has remained committed to building a robust sporting ecosystem in India.

Speaking ahead of the championships, James Hillier, Athletics Director, Reliance Foundation, said, “We are incredibly proud of our athletes and their dedication. Their recent performances, including multiple national records, reflect their hard work and the comprehensive support they receive from the Reliance Foundation. The Asian Athletics Championship is a crucial platform, and I am confident that our contingent will showcase their talent and make the nation proud. We’ve focused not just on physical conditioning but also on mental fortitude, ensuring they are prepared for the intense competition ahead."

James expressed excitement about coaching India’s national relay team in Mumbai as well, an effort that has led to the breaking of the longest-standing national record in Indian athletics in the 4x100m relay.

India’s top female hurdler Jyothi Yarraji will compete in two events, the 100m hurdles, where she’s the defending champion and the 200m, where she bagged the silver medal in the previous edition in Bangkok in 2023. She has consistently redefined the boundaries of Indian hurdling, holding the national record with a scorching 12.78 seconds, a mark she has matched multiple times. She is the first Indian woman to dip below the 13-second barrier in the 100m hurdles and is the reigning Asian champion in the event, having secured gold at the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships, along with a silver at the 2022 Asian Games.

Animesh Kujur has shattered the national record in the men’s 200m. His blistering time of 20.4 seconds at the Senior Federation Cup earlier this year not just set a new national benchmark but also established him as the current Asian leader in the event. Animesh from the Odisha Reliance Foundation HPC will also be a vital cog in the men’s 4x100m relay team, alongside Manikanta Hoblidhar, Amlan Borgohain and Gurvinder Singh. This dynamic quartet has rewritten the national record books in the 4x100m relay with an impressive 38.69 seconds, showcasing their explosive synergy and readiness to challenge Asia’s best.

All eyes will be on India’s champion long-distance runner Gulveer Singh, a force to be reckoned with in both the 5000m and 10,000m. Gulveer has been on a record-breaking spree, recently setting a new national record in the 10,000m with a time of 27:00.22s, a significant improvement on his previous best. Even more remarkably, he became the first Asian man to break the 13-minute barrier in the 5000m short track, clocking an incredible 12:59.77, also a new national record. His bronze medals at the 2022 Asian Games (10,000m) and 2023 Asian Championships (5000m) are testaments to his consistent performance on the big stage.

Twinkle Chaudhary will look to roar in the women’s 800m event, picking up momentum from her recent performance at the National Federation Senior Athletics Competition last month, where she not only clocked her personal best but also smashed the Federation Cup record to qualify for the Asian Championships. Seema and Sawan Barwal are other trailblazers set to enthral in the long-distance space, competing in the 10,000m races for women and men, respectively. Long jumper Ancy Sojan takes part in her second Asian Athletics Championships, after she debuted at the 25th edition in 2023.

The Reliance Foundation athletes’ journey to Gumi embodies the Foundation’s vision of fostering a culture of sports and empowering India’s youth to achieve their full potential on the global stage.

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