As the 64th National Inter-State Athletics Championships gets underway in Chennai from August 20–24, 2025, Indian athletes find themselves at a decisive crossroads.
With the qualification deadline for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo closing on the same day the Chennai meet ends, this domestic competition represents the last and most critical chance for many to secure their ticket to the world stage. World Athletics has designed a dual-pathway qualification system—athletes must either achieve the automatic entry standard or accumulate enough World Ranking points. The target is a 50-50 balance between automatic qualifiers and those entering via rankings.
For India, this structure has created both opportunities and anxieties, especially for athletes hovering around the cut-off zones.
The Advantage of Neeraj Chopra and Javelin Depth
India’s greatest weapon remains Neeraj Chopra, the reigning men’s javelin champion. By virtue of his title, he holds a wild card entry, ensuring participation regardless of marks achieved this season. Crucially, his entry does not count against the standard three-athlete national quota, meaning India could potentially send four athletes in men’s javelin a rare advantage.
Behind Chopra, Sachin Yadav sits comfortably at 20th in world rankings, all but guaranteed a berth. Yashvir Singh, ranked 32nd, is currently within the 36-athlete quota but must perform strongly in Chennai to solidify his position. The most precarious case is Rohit Yadav, ranked 57th. Despite a season best of 80.47m, reports from Bhubaneswar noted an 84m-plus foul throw, suggesting untapped potential. For him, Chennai is make-or-break: a medal and a throw beyond 82m could catapult him into contention.
The men’s javelin final, scheduled for August 24, coinciding with the qualification deadline, will be India’s most watched event.
On the women’s side, Annu Rani has recovered strongly from past setbacks. With a season best of 62.59m in Poland and a current rank of 29th, she is well within the 36-athlete quota. While shy of the 64.00m automatic standard, her upward form suggests she could challenge it in Chennai.
Long Jump: Sreeshankar’s Comeback and Lokesh’s Ambition
After missing the Paris Olympics due to knee surgery, Murali Sreeshankar has been gradually building form. His recent 8.13m jump in Bhubaneswar, though short of the 8.27m automatic mark, indicates progress. Ranked outside the top 40 but with a strong historical profile including a personal best of 8.41m Sreeshankar remains India’s best hope. His coach and father, S. Murali, insists he can cross the 8.27m threshold in Chennai.
Alongside him, Lokesh Sathyanathan has shown flashes, hitting a personal best of 8.14m this season. However, ranked 76th globally, he faces a steep climb. Realistically, only a near-automatic mark in Chennai would vault him into Tokyo contention.
Sprinting Hope: Animesh Kujur in the 200m
Perhaps the most exciting development of India’s 2025 season is the rise of Animesh Kujur, who has rewritten the national record books in the 200m. His 20.27s run, just 0.11s off the automatic standard (20.16s), places him 42nd in the Road to Tokyo rankings. With 48 slots available, he sits just inside the cut-off. The men’s 200m in Chennai will be staged across August 22–23, and Kujur’s task is clear: either dip under 20.16s or secure a high-placing finish to add ranking points.
A World Championships debut would mark a breakthrough for Indian sprinting, a discipline where global representation has historically been thin.
Ankita and the Steeplechase Battle
In distance events, Ankita of Uttarakhand has been the standout. After setting a national record in the 2000m steeplechase (6:13.92), which counts toward her 3000m steeplechase ranking, she followed it up with a personal best of 9:31.99 at the World University Games. With the automatic standard set at 9:18.00, her route is through rankings, where she remains on the cusp. Her coach has set a clear target: break 9:30 in Chennai to secure qualification. With the women’s steeplechase final also scheduled for August 24, her performance will directly determine if India has representation in this demanding event in Tokyo.
The Athletics Federation of India has ensured that key event finals men’s javelin, men’s long jump, and women’s steeplechase fall on August 24, aligning with the qualification deadline. This creates a do-or-die atmosphere: athletes must produce their best on the very last day possible.
Chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair summed it up: “Athletes should do exceedingly well here in Chennai to improve their global ranking to be eligible to compete in Worlds in Tokyo.” The weight of this statement cannot be overstated. Beyond technique and training, athletes must summon psychological fortitude to deliver under pressure.
India’s strength in javelin is unquestionable, with multiple athletes inside the qualification zone a depth unmatched in its history. But the picture in other events is mixed: Sreeshankar’s comeback remains uncertain, Lokesh requires a leap of faith, Ankita is running against the clock, and Kujur is balancing on fine margins. Still, compared to past cycles, India enters Tokyo qualification with greater diversity of events and athletes in contention. From throws to sprints to distance races, the spread reflects progress in building a broader athletics base.
Moreover, Chopra’s wild card creates an unusual scenario: India could send four male javelin throwers, enhancing medal chances and team depth. For a nation striving to build consistent World Championships presence, this is a landmark opportunity.
As the Chennai meet unfolds, the drama will be intense. Every centimeter in the javelin, every fraction of a second in the sprints, every clean barrier clearance in the steeplechase carries outsized weight. For many, this is not just another domestic championship—it is the final frontier between years of training and a place on the global stage. India will undoubtedly send its stars like Neeraj Chopra and Annu Rani to Tokyo, but the real story of Chennai will be whether emerging names like Yashvir Singh, Rohit Yadav, Animesh Kujur, Murali Sreeshankar, Lokesh Sathyanathan, and Ankita can rise to the moment.
If they do, India could arrive at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025 with its strongest and most varied squad in history, signaling the coming of age of a nation steadily establishing itself in world athletics.
