Athletics: Neeraj Chopra to lead India’s medal hunt at World Athletics Championships 2025
Chopra hoping to retain World Championship crown in Tokyo
Over 2,000 athletes from all corners of the globe are set to arrive in Tokyo next week, hoping to etch their names in history at the World Athletics Championships 2025.
This year marks the 20th edition of the tournament and promises to be one of the best yet, with 49 events across men’s, women’s and mixed categories, set to electrify audiences between September 13 - 21 at the Japan National Stadium.
At the start of this week, the Athletics Federation of India announced that a 19-member field will represent the nation in Tokyo over the coming weeks, with the reigning world champion, Neeraj Chopra, set to lead the nation's charge for those coveted medals.
However, while Chopra has solidified his status as one of the modern greats in javelin, he arrives at the World Championships slightly down on form, having finished as the runner-up at the Paris Olympics and the Diamond League.
Given that he is the reigning champion, the 27-year-old received a guaranteed wild card slot despite meeting and surpassing the qualification benchmark on 85.50. He will be joined in the javelin competition this year by compatriots Sachin Yadav, Yashvir Singh and Rohit Yadav.
Still, owing to his recent results, this is one of the few times in recent years that Chopra does not enter a competition as the clear favourite with the best online betting sites, despite having the legendary Jan Zelezny in his corner in 2025.
This year is the first that India have managed to qualify four athletes for a single event at the World Championship, with Annu Rani set to represent the nation in the women’s javelin tournament.
India’s 19-member squad for World Athletics Championships 2025
A total of 19 athletes from India are expected to feature in Tokyo, including Gulveer and Pooja Singh, who will participate in two events each. However, the most notable absentee for India is Akshdeep Singh, who was deemed medically unfit.
Among those considered to be India’s best chances of returning with medals are Murali Sreeshankar and Annu Rani in the men’s long jump and javelin, respectively. Animesh Kujur will represent the nation in the 100m and 200m, marking a first for India on the global stage.
India World Championship 2025 squad
| Athlete | Event |
|---|---|
| Neeraj Chopra | Men’s javelin |
| Gulveer Singh | Men’s 5000m, men's 10000m |
| Praveen Chitravel | Men’s triple jump |
| Parul Chaudhary | Women’s 3000m steeplechase |
| Animesh Kujur | Men’s 200m |
| Tejas Shirse | Men's 110m hurdles |
| Sarvesh Kushare | Men’s high jump |
| Murali Sreeshankar | Men’s long jump |
| Abdulla Aboobacker | Men’s triple jump |
| Sachin Yadav | Men’s javelin |
| Yashvir Singh | Men’s javelin |
| Rohit Yadav | Men’s javelin |
| Servin Sebastian | Men’s 20km race walk |
| Ram Baboo | Men’s 35km race walk |
| Sandeep Kumar | Men’s 35km race walk |
| Pooja Singh | Women's 1500m, women's 800m |
| Ankita Dhyani | Women’s 3000m steeplechase |
| Annu Rani | Women’s javelin |
| Priyanka Goswami | Women’s 35km race walk |
