The 2025 World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou ended in heartbreak for Indian athletics, with both the men’s and mixed 4x400m relay teams failing to secure qualification for the World Championships in Tokyo.
Despite a few spirited individual performances, a combination of tactical missteps, injuries, and depleted rosters left India without a place among the 14 teams earning automatic qualification from the World Relays.
This failure marks a steep fall for the Indian men’s 4x400m team, which just months ago delivered a historic 5th-place finish at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest — their highest-ever global result.
Fast forward to Guangzhou, and they’ve exited the qualification race with a 7th-place finish in their final heat, far from the top three that were needed to advance.
Men’s 4x400m: Tactical Confusion and Selection Woes
On May 11, the Indian men’s team of Jay Kumar, Dharmveer Chaudhary, Manu TS, and Rince Joseph clocked 3:04.49, finishing 7th in Heat 1. The result was disappointing, not just because it meant elimination, but because it followed an already underwhelming qualification round the day before.
On May 10, the team, with Santosh Kumar and Vishal T.K., had clocked a stronger 3:03.92 and placed 5th in Heat 4. Vishal, in particular, ran an outstanding third leg — the fastest of the Indian quartet. But surprisingly, both Santosh and Vishal were absent from the team on Day 2, having run the mixed 4x400m relay earlier in the event.
This decision raised eyebrows. With World Championship qualification at stake, the two most experienced and in-form runners were kept out of the crucial men’s race. Instead, the team started with Jay Kumar, who was making his senior debut at this level — a tall ask in a pressure-cooker situation like the World Relays.
The result? A lack of cohesion, slower splits, and a team that never looked in contention for the top three spots. The tactical call to prioritise the mixed relay — where India also failed to qualify — ultimately came at the cost of the men’s team’s chances.
Mixed 4x400m: Brave Effort, But Short of the Mark
India’s mixed 4x400m team of Santosh Kumar, Rupal Chaudhary, Vishal T.K., and Subha Venkatesan put in a commendable performance in their repechage heat on Day 2, finishing 4th with a season-best 3:14.81.
This was a stronger outing than their opening round and showed promise, with Vishal once again impressing in his leg and Subha anchoring the team with determination. But the top three teams from each repechage heat advanced to the World Championships, and India narrowly missed out.
Considering that 14 countries have already qualified in the mixed 4x400m — including powerhouses like the United States (3:11.37), Belgium (3:11.83), and Australia (3:12.34) — India’s timing puts them outside the immediate contenders. The only hope left is to grab one of the two remaining spots, which will be awarded based on top lists in the qualification window. But with a 3:14.81 mark, that path is extremely narrow and uncertain.
Selection Missteps or Strategic Gamble?
One of the biggest talking points emerging from Guangzhou is the decision to split the focus between the men’s and mixed teams. In a packed schedule over two days, the choice to use Santosh Kumar and Vishal TK in the mixed relay meant they were unavailable or not fully recovered for the men’s event.
In hindsight, it was a strategic gamble that didn’t pay off — India missed out on qualification in both relays, and possibly would’ve had a better shot had they prioritised the men’s team, which was just a few tenths off the top three on Day 1.
This decision becomes even more baffling considering India’s world finalist status in the men’s 4x400m. Momentum, confidence, and historical precedent were on their side — making their exclusion from the Day 2 race difficult to justify.
From World Finalists to Out of Contention
It’s hard to overstate how significant this failure is. The Indian men’s 4x400m relay team has been a beacon of progress for Indian athletics, especially after their sensational 2:59.92 performance at the 2023 Worlds, which stunned the global athletics community.
That performance signaled India’s arrival among the elite in one of track and field’s most prestigious events. To now miss out on qualifying altogether for the 2025 World Championships represents not just a missed opportunity, but a blow to continuity and morale.
With automatic qualification out of reach, India will now hope for qualification via world rankings. The two fastest teams not already qualified by the end of the qualification period will be granted spots at Tokyo 2025. For the men’s team, their Day 1 performance of 3:03.92 might keep them in contention — but even that is a long shot.
As for the mixed relay team, the season-best 3:14.81 will likely not be sufficient unless other countries falter or don’t post marks in upcoming meets.
Lessons and Looking Ahead
- Selection Must Reflect Strengths: India’s best medal hopes continue to lie in the men’s 4x400m. That event should be prioritised in major qualifiers, especially when multiple events are scheduled close together.
- Consistency Over Experimentation: Bringing in debutants and splitting legs between events during crucial qualifiers can be risky. Experience, chemistry, and form must guide selection, not experimentation.
- Recovery and Planning: With back-to-back races over two days, recovery plays a critical role. Managing athlete workload — and perhaps focusing on one event per athlete — could improve results.
The 2025 World Relays in Guangzhou were a reality check for Indian athletics. From the highs of the World Championships final to this exit without qualification, it’s a reminder that reaching the top is hard — but staying there is even harder.
Still, the talent is there. The spirit is intact. The likes of Vishal TK, Santosh Kumar, Subha Venkatesan, and others have shown individual brilliance. What India needs now is smarter planning, better prioritisation, and bold but informed decision-making as we head toward the 2026 Asian Games and 2028 Olympics.
The legacy of the Indian 4x400m team isn’t over — but it needs a serious course correction.
