CWG 2022: 6 Indian track-and-field athletes to watch out for


CWG 2022: 6 Indian track-and-field athletes to watch out for

The 2022 Commonwealth Games are just a day away. While Neeraj Chopra’s decision to skip the Games may have dampened some enthusiasm, all is not lost for Indian track-and-field fans.

Birmingham 2022 in fact offers a unique opportunity for Indian athletics. India had six finalists in the recently concluded World Athletics Championships and almost all their performances, if replicated or bettered, can ensure a podium place at the CWGs.

India has historically struggled in athletics at the CWGs however four out of the country’s five gold medals have been won in the last three editions starting from Delhi 2010.

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Neeraj Chopra’s Olympic gold and the emergence of new names has led to renewed interest in Indian athletics. If this momentum is converted into medals at Birmingham, it would be another sign of the ‘sleeping giant awakening‘.

Murali Sreeshankar – Men’s Long Jump

Murali Sreeshankar
Murali Sreeshankar

Murali Sreeshankar may have posted a disappointing 7.96m jump in the World Championship finals but he still remains one of the most exciting talents in Indian athletics and is a CWG 2022 gold medal contender.

Sreeshankar has posted seven 8+ jumps this year including his Personal and Season’s Best (and New National Record) of 8.36 at the Federation Cup in April. His finals and qualification jumps at the Worlds were the best among athletes from the Commonwealth countries.

Among his competitors, LaQuan Nairn of Bahamas has an SB of 8.22, Australians Chris Mitrevski and Henry Frayne have SBs of 8.21 and 8.10, South Africans Jovan van Vuuren and Cheswill Johnson have SBs of 8.16 and 8.11, Jamaicans Wayne Pinnock and Shawn-D Thompson have SBs of 8.14 and 7.89 and Botswana’s Thalosang Tshireletso has an SB of 8.04.

The Men’s Long Jump field at the Games has been opened up by reports of former World champion Tajay Gayle (SB 7.97) being a doubtful starter for the CWGs, defending champion Luvo Manyonga serving a ban and 2017 WCH bronze medalist Ruswahl Samaai not being part of the South African squad.

Another Indian Muhammad Anees (SB 8.15) will also be competing at Birmingham and will be hoping to improve upon his Worlds jump of 7.72.

Avinash Sable – Men’s 3000m Steeplechase

Avinash Sable
Avinash Sable

Steeplechase runner Avinash Sable has made it a habit of breaking and re-breaking National Records. Though he was caught off-guard in the slowest Men’s Steeplechase race in the history of the World Championships, Indian fans know that the 28-year old is quick to improve.

The best performance of Avinash’s career has been a fifth-place finish with a new NR of 8:12.48 at the 2022 Rabat Diamond League; this was the eighth time Avinash set a new NR since breaking Gopal Saini’s 37-year old mark in 2018.

Avinash was the highest placing non-Kenyan Commonwealth athlete at the Worlds. Among Kenyan athletes at the Commonwealth Games, Abraham Kibiwot and Conseslus Kipruto are two of the best in the world but the third Kenyan, Amos Serem, has lesser international experience than Avinash. The only other non-Kenyan medal contender, Canadian John Gay, has an SB of 8:20.77.

The recent WCH and Olympic results suggest that the decades-long Kenyan dominance in Men’s Steeplechase is starting to wane. At the 2018 CWGs, Canada’s Matthew Hughes was milliseconds away from preventing a Kenyan podium sweep.

If Avinash can learn from the Worlds experience and apply better tactics and race awareness at the Games, there is no reason why he cannot challenge for the podium.

Annu Rani – Women’s Javelin

Annu Rani
Annu Rani

Unlike Sreeshankar and Avinash Sable, Annu Rani improved upon her qualification performance in the World Championship finals. The 2022 season has been good so far for Annu. She set a new NR of 63.82 in May and earned a Top 8 finish at the Worlds with a best throw of 61.12.

While Australia’s reigning World Champion Kelsey-Lee Barber and compatriot Mackenzie Little are favourites for the top-two places at the CWGs, the field is open for third place.

Strictly based on recent form, Annu and the veteran Canadian Elizabeth Gleadle (SB 63.33, PB 64.83) are likely to contest for the bronze medal. Annu finished higher at the Worlds than Gleadle and has hit the 60+ mark more frequently than the latter in 2022.

The defending champion Kathryn Mitchell, who is set to make a comeback at Birmingham, has an SB of 57.36.

New Zealand’s Tori Peeters (SB 62.40) and South Africa’s Jo-Ane Van Dyk (SB 61.61) are also expected to pose a challenge.

Shilpa Rani (SB 59.01) will be the other Indian competitor.

Eldhose Paul – Men’s Triple Jump

Eldhose Paul
Eldhose Paul

Eldhose Paul also bettered his qualification mark in the World finals (Q 16.68, F 16.79). Unlike compatriots Abdulla Aboobacker (SB 17.19) and Praveen Chithravel (SB 17.18), Eldhose has not breached the 17+ mark (his SB and PB being 16.99) but has made up for that with consistency; he has registered four 16.8+ jumps in 2022, the highest by an Indian.

He became the first Indian to qualify for the Men’s Triple Jump finals at the Worlds where he also finished as the highest placed Commonwealth athlete.

At the CWGs, his main competitors will be home favourite Ben Williams (SB 16.82, PB 17.27 at Birmingham in 2019) and Bermuda’s Jah-Nhai Perinchief (SB 16.95), who has been another consistent performer in 2022. Other podium contenders include Jamaica’s Jordan Scott (SB 16.69), Botswana’s Thalosang Tshireletso (SB 16.77) and Australia’s Julian Konle (SB 16.56).

Both Aboobacker and Praveen Chithravel are also capable of making amends for their disappointing WCH showing.

Rohit Yadav – Men’s Javelin

Rohit Yadav

Neeraj Chopra may be absent but India still have a Men’s Javelin podium contender in Rohit Yadav. 21-year old Rohit has a PB and SB of 82.54 and has hit the 80+ mark five times this year, including in the WCH qualifications.

Reigning World Champion Anderson Peters (SB 93.07) of Grenada will be the overwhelming favourite for gold, followed by Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem (SB 86.16).

Former Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago has an SB of 89.07 and a number of 80+ scores in 2022 but failed to reach the WCH finals after a best effort of 78.87 in qualifications.

Australia’s Cameron McEntyre has an SB of 81.86 while former World champion Julius Yego of Kenya has an SB of 80.62.

India’s DP Manu threw 84.35 this year but has not competed abroad.

In some ways, Neeraj’s absence could be a blessing in disguise for Indian athletics. A strong performance from new talents like Rohit (or DP Manu) at a competition such as the Commonwealth Games is better for the long-term outlook of the sport in the country than a gold from Neeraj.

Seema Punia – Women’s Discus

Seema Punia
Seema Punia

The seemingly ageless Seema Punia Antil is all set to compete in her fifth Commonwealth Games. Seema has won a medal in each of the past four editions of the CWGs; silvers in 2006, 2014 and 2018 and a bronze in 2010.

Unlike the past two editions of the Games where former World champion Dani Samuels was the favourite, the field is wide open this time. A 60+ throw is almost certain to get a medal.

Seema’s SB this year is 57.09, however she is more than capable of going 60+, given her experience in multi-sport events and the fact that she hit the mark a number of times in 2021. Her PB remains 64.84, set way back in 2004.

The main contenders at Birmingham are England’s Jade Lally (SB 61.78), the highest placing Commonwealth athlete at the Worlds; Jamaicans Shadae Lawrence (SB 63.94) and Samantha Hall (SB 58.01); Nigerians Chioma Onyekwere (SB 60.90) and Obiageri Amaechi (SB 58.10) and South Africa’s Yolandi Stander (SB 57.90).

Seema will be accompanied by fellow Indian Navjeet Kaur Dhiilon (SB 58.03), the bronze medalist from Gold Coast 2018.

India’s chances in Women’s Discus were dealt a blow after Kamalpreet Kaur, the Tokyo 2020 finalist, was suspended.