India’s Medal Hopes Soar as World Athletics Championships Begin in Tokyo

• By Thetripurapost Desk, Tokyo
• Sep 13, 2025
• 664

The spotlight turns to Tokyo as the 20th World Athletics Championships gets underway today, promising nine days of high-octane competition. The event, running until September 18, will witness the world’s finest athletes in action, with India fielding a strong 19-member squad determined to make its mark on the global stage.

Neeraj Chopra Leads the Charge

India’s campaign will be spearheaded by star javelin thrower and double Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra, who will headline the men’s javelin event alongside compatriots Sachin Yadav, Yashvir Singh, and Rohit Yadav. This marks a historic first for India — four athletes competing in a single event at the World Championships.

The javelin competition will feature some of the sport’s biggest names, including Germany’s Julian Weber (fresh off his Diamond League triumph), Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, Grenada’s Anderson Peters, Kenya’s Julius Yego, Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott, Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch, and Brazil’s Luiz da Silva, who recently stunned the world with a 91-metre throw. The qualifying round is set for September 17.

A 19-Strong Indian Contingent

The Indian contingent consists of 14 men and five women, spread across 15 events. Long-distance runner Gulveer Singh and middle-distance specialist Pooja, a silver medallist at the Asian Championships, will compete in two events each.

India’s campaign opens today with the 35km race walk events:

Ram Baboo and Sandeep Kumar in the men’s category

Priyanka Goswami in the women’s event

Pooja will also line up for her 1500m heat.

Aiming to Add to the Medal Tally

India’s history at the World Championships is short but significant. Legendary long jumper Anju Bobby George secured a bronze in 2003, while Neeraj Chopra clinched back-to-back medals in 2022 and 2023. With Chopra at the helm and India entering more events than ever before, expectations are high for another historic outing.

As the championships unfold, all eyes will be on Tokyo — and on Neeraj Chopra’s arm — to see if India can once again etch its name on the global athletics map.