India’s campaign in the men’s triple jump and 60m sprint at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships 2026 delivered a mix of promise, frustration and hard lessons on the continental stage.
The men’s triple jump final began at 9:35 AM IST, marking the 2026 season opener for India’s national record holder Praveen Chithravel. Competing for the first time since his eighth-place finish at the 2025 World Athletics Championships (16.74m), Praveen entered the indoor continental meet leading the start list on paper with his personal best.
However, championships are rarely decided on season’s best marks alone.
After three rounds, Praveen found himself in fourth place with a best effort of 16.06m, recorded in his second attempt. At that stage, the Chinese trio had asserted control of the competition. Jiao Xinping led with 16.47m, followed closely by Ma Yinglong at 16.45m, while Su Wen sat third at 16.31m.
Praveen’s series reflected a gradual build-up rather than an explosive breakthrough. He improved to 16.22m later in the competition, but the distance ultimately proved insufficient to break into the medal positions.
China swept the podium:
- 🥇 Su Wen – 16.55m
- 🥈 Jiao Xinping – 16.47m
- 🥉 Ma Yinglong – 16.45m
The 21-year-old Ma Yinglong, notably, is also the World U20 silver medallist, underlining the depth in China’s horizontal jumps programme.
For Praveen, fourth place at a continental indoor championship is a competitive result but also a reminder of the margins at this level. His 16.22m performance was below his outdoor capabilities, but indoors often demand sharper board accuracy and rhythm control, especially early in the season.
From a broader Indian perspective, the result signals stability rather than regression. Praveen remains among Asia’s elite, but the podium standard has clearly risen. With the outdoor season ahead, technical adjustments in approach consistency and take-off precision will be key.
Manikanta’s Season Debut Ends Abruptly
If the triple jump brought measured disappointment, the men’s 60m heats delivered controversy and clarity in equal measure.
India’s Manikanta Hoblidhar, competing in his first-ever international 60m race, was disqualified under Rule 16.8 (TR) for a false start. Under current regulations, any athlete committing a false start is immediately disqualified there is no warning system. Initial reaction around the track and on social media suggested confusion. Video footage circulating appeared to show movement from another lane, prompting questions about the decision. At that stage, it remained unclear whether a protest would be filed.
However, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) later confirmed that the disqualification was reviewed and deemed valid. No protest was lodged after officials examined the evidence.
In elite sprinting, false start detection is based on reaction time thresholds measured via starting blocks. If an athlete reacts within 0.100 seconds of the gun, the system automatically flags it as a false start. These decisions are rarely overturned unless there is a verified technical malfunction. For Manikanta, the outcome was a harsh introduction to international indoor racing. The 60m is unforgiving; there is no time to recover from a slow start and equally, no margin for premature reaction.
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Manikanta is one of India’s most consistent sprinters and the holder of the country’s second-fastest all-time 100m mark. But indoor sprinting is a different technical discipline. The shorter race distance amplifies start mechanics and block response. Unlike the 100m, where athletes can settle into acceleration phases over 30–40 metres, the 60m is almost entirely decided in the first three seconds.
For an athlete making his international indoor debut, the adrenaline factor can significantly influence reaction timing.
India’s men’s athletics contingent experienced both competitive depth and procedural strictness on Day 1.
Praveen Chithravel’s fourth-place finish shows he remains within striking distance of Asia’s best. His 16.22m mark provides a workable base for the outdoor campaign, where he traditionally performs stronger. Manikanta’s disqualification, meanwhile, reinforces the importance of race composure at the highest level. In modern athletics, rules are applied uniformly and technologically enforced. The margin between anticipation and infringement is measured in hundredths of a second.
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For Indian athletics, these performances underline two themes heading into 2026:
- Technical sharpness will decide podiums — particularly in horizontal jumps where centimetres separate medals from fourth place.
- International exposure remains crucial — especially for sprinters transitioning from domestic circuits to global competition.
The Asian Indoors have once again highlighted the competitive rise of China across disciplines. For India, the path forward remains clear: refine execution, maintain consistency, and convert near-podium finishes into medals when it matters most.
The season has just begun.
