World’s top athletes will aim to dish out a spirited show when the IAAF World Championships kicks off on Friday.
For India, the event hasn’t been too fruitful as only Anju Bobby George had managed a medal in long jump at the 2003 edition of the Games in Paris.
However, a lot will be expected from ace sprinter Dutee Chand and middle-distance runner Jinson Johnson this time round.
FULL SCHEDULE| IAAF World Championships: Indians in action, timings in IST
Dutee had a dream outing at the World University Championship where she bagged a gold following which the IAAF had invited her to join the Indian team.
Dutee will once again feature in the 100-metre event.
India had also suffered a jolt when Neeraj Chopra and Hima Das had to skip the event due to injury. While javelin thrower Neeraj is not taking part as he has been doing only light training since May, having undergone elbow surgery, Hima pulled out due to a lower back injury after being named in the team initially.
In Neeraj’s absence, all eyes will be on another javelin thrower Shivpal Singh while Annu Rani will lead India's charge in the women's category of the discipline. Meanwhile, Tejaswin Shankar has also decided to give the event a miss, which is another blow for India.
READ| IAAF World Championships: A close look at Indians in the fray
In such a scenario, Asian Games gold medallist Johnson is expected to delight the Indian fans. He is currently training with his coach in USA.
Long jumper M. Sreeshankar, who has recovered from an injury, will also try to deliver his best. In the National Open Championship last year, Sreeshankar had broken the national record after jumps of 8.11 and 8.20 metres.
In the 4x400m men's relay and mixed relay events, Muhammed Anas, Noah Nirmal, Alex Antony, Harsh Kumar, Amoj Jacob, K.S. Jeevan and Dharun Ayyasamy will be expected to do well.
The shot put event will feature Tejinder Pal Singh Toor, who had clinched gold in the Asian Games.
Comments
SHARE