The World Athletics Championships 2025 in Tokyo offered a stage where athletes from around the globe pushed the boundaries of human performance.
For India, it was a week of mixed fortunes moments of resilience, breakthrough performances, and a few heartbreaking exits. From the javelin sector to the long-distance track, from the high jump bar to the unforgiving hurdles, India’s athletes tested themselves against the world’s best, leaving fans with both pride and hunger for more.
This is a comprehensive account of India’s journey from Day 1 to Day 7 at the Championships.
Day 1: Race Walking and Middle-Distance Battles
India’s campaign began with race walking, a discipline where the country has historically shown promise.
Priyanka Goswami clocked 3:05:58 to finish 24th in the women’s 35km race walk. While not close to her personal best, the effort reflected her grit in tough Tokyo conditions. In the men’s 35km event, Sandeep Kumar placed 23rd with 2:39:15. Ram Baboo, however, endured disappointment, receiving a disqualification (DQ) for rule violations.
On the track, Pooja Olla made her debut in the 1500m heats, finishing 11th in 4:13.75 slower than her best mark and insufficient to progress to the semifinals. The day’s medals went to global stars like Maria Perez (ESP) in the women’s 35km and Evan Dunfee (CAN) in the men’s event, setting the competitive tone of the championship.
Day 2: Gulveer Singh and Sarvesh Kushare Make Moves
In the men’s 10,000m final, Gulveer Singh endured a tactical, slow-paced race, eventually finishing 16th with a time of 29:13.33. For Gulveer, the experience was valuable, showing he could hold his own in a global final even if he lacked the closing burst. Meanwhile, history was made in the high jump qualification. Sarvesh Kushare cleared 2.25m, becoming the first Indian man ever to qualify for a high jump final at the World Championships. This achievement alone etched his name in Indian athletics history.
Elsewhere, the field witnessed shocks reigning Olympic and World Champion Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy crashed out after failing to clear 2.21m.
Disappointments in Long Jump and Hurdles
Day 3 tested Indian hopes in technical events.
Murali Sreeshankar, a consistent performer on the circuit, fell short in the men’s long jump qualification. His best of 7.78m was well below the 7.98m cut-off, and far from his season’s 8.13m. It was a sobering reminder of the thin margins in elite athletics. In the 110m hurdles, Tejas Shirse ran a sharp 13.57s but missed the non-automatic qualification by a whisker just 0.05 seconds. For a young athlete, the run showed potential even if it did not translate into progression.
Sarvesh Kushare’s High Jump Heroics: In the men’s high jump final, Kushare soared to 2.28m, setting a new personal best and finishing 6th overall. For an event where India has had little presence on the global stage, this performance was both historic and symbolic. While medals went elsewhere, Kushare’s leap embodied the new belief coursing through Indian athletics that the nation can compete across disciplines, not just in its traditional strongholds.
The javelin field lit up on Day 5.
Neeraj Chopra, the reigning Olympic silver medalist and 2023 World Champion, stamped authority early. His first throw of 84.85m sailed past the automatic qualification mark (84.50m), putting him straight into the final. Sachin Yadav, on his debut, rose to the occasion. His 83.67m effort was a personal best, earning him a spot in the final as well. For Rohit Yadav (77.81m) and Yashvir Singh (77.51m), the journey ended in qualification.
In the men’s triple jump, both Abdulla Aboobacker (16.33m) and Praveen Chithravel (16.74m) missed the cut-off of 16.83m, highlighting the stiff competition. The sprints saw a historic first. Animesh Kujur became the first Indian male sprinter to compete in the 200m at the World Championships. Though he finished last in his heat (20.77s), his participation was a significant milestone for Indian sprinting’s global ambitions.
Drama in the Men’s Javelin Final
The men’s javelin final was highly anticipated, with India’s Neeraj Chopra carrying the nation’s hopes.
However, in a twist, Neeraj could manage only 84.03m, finishing 8th his first result outside the top two since June 2021. For fans used to his near invincibility, it was a startling outcome, though it underlined the unpredictability of sport. The stage, instead, belonged to debutant Sachin Yadav, who stunned with a throw of 86.27m, another personal best, to finish 4th agonizingly close to a medal. His fearless performance was perhaps the story of the championships for India.
The medals went to:
- Gold: Keshorn Walcott (Trinidad and Tobago) – 88.16m
- Silver: Curtis Thompson (USA) – 86.67m
- Bronze: Jakub Vadlejch (CZE) – 86.55m
In a surprising elimination, Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem (Pakistan) finished 10th, showing that the javelin field is now one of the most competitive in athletics.
The final day of India’s campaign brought heartbreak and near misses.
In the men’s 5000m heats, Gulveer Singh produced one of his best runs, clocking 13:13.06. Yet he finished 9th in his heat, missing qualification by just 0.19 seconds. The heat’s slow pace proved costly, and despite his strong finish, he was edged out. In the women’s javelin qualification, veteran Annu Rani could not find her rhythm. Her series of 54.54m, 55.18m, and 55.10m placed her 15th in Group A far from the mark required to reach the final.
Interestingly, even reigning Olympic champion Haruka Kitaguchi of Japan struggled, with a best of 60.38m leaving her missing the finals.
Indian Highlights and Historical Firsts: Despite the absence of medals, India recorded notable milestones:
Sarvesh Kushare became the first Indian man to qualify for a high jump final at the World Championships, finishing 6th with a personal best. Animesh Kujur marked a historic first Indian male appearance in the 200m, opening doors for future sprinters. Sachin Yadav’s 4th-place finish and back-to-back personal bests signaled the arrival of a new javelin star.
Analysis: India’s Evolving Athletics Landscape
The 2025 campaign revealed a story of transition for Indian athletics.
Neeraj Chopra’s off-day was a reminder that even greats are human. Yet his legacy continues to inspire a new wave of throwers like Sachin Yadav. Distance runners like Gulveer Singh showed promise, narrowly missing out on finals, suggesting India is inching closer to global competitiveness in endurance events.
Field events beyond javelin are finally seeing breakthroughs. Sarvesh Kushare’s high jump success may ignite a culture shift in disciplines long overlooked in India. Sprint and hurdle entries, though modest, mark a diversification of India’s athletics presence. Participation itself is progress, and results could follow with better infrastructure and support.
The Tokyo World Championships did not add to India’s medal tally, but it laid the foundation for the future. With the 2026 Asian Games and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics on the horizon, performances in Tokyo will serve as valuable benchmarks. Athletes like Sachin Yadav, Sarvesh Kushare, Gulveer Singh, and Animesh Kujur symbolize a generational shift, ensuring India’s athletics story is no longer confined to just one superstar.
The road ahead is steep, but as Tokyo 2025 showed, India is now competing in breadth, not just depth.
