India’s premier decathlete Tejaswin Shankar, the national record holder and fresh off a silver medal at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships, is set for another big test on the global stage.
Shankar will compete at the prestigious 4th Wiesław Czapiewski Memorial, part of the World Athletics Combined Events Tour Gold series, to be held on 26–27 July 2025 in Nakło nad Notecią, Poland.
This meet marks a significant step for Shankar, who in recent seasons has emerged as the face of Indian combined events an area historically underrepresented in Indian athletics. His participation isn’t just about another competition; it’s part of a broader mission to establish India as a contender in the decathlon at world-level meets.
From Asian Podiums to European Challenges
The 2025 season has already been a breakthrough year for Tejaswin Shankar. After switching focus from high jump, where he famously won bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Shankar made headlines by breaking the Indian decathlon national record and following it up with a silver medal at the Asian Athletics Championships.
Yet, success at continental level is only the start. The next step testing himself against European decathletes, who traditionally dominate the sport is what makes this upcoming competition so intriguing.
The Wiesław Czapiewski Memorial, now in its fourth edition, is part of the World Athletics Combined Events Tour at Gold level the highest tier of this circuit. It consistently attracts a strong field, offering points towards the year-long combined events rankings and serving as vital preparation for athletes aiming at global events, including the World Championships and Olympics.
This year’s entry list features a deep and varied field. Among those named alongside Shankar are Greece’s Antonios Andreoglou, Italy’s Andrea Cerrato and Lorenzo Modugno, Estonia’s Risto Lillemets and Kristjan Rosenberg, Switzerland’s Finley Gaio, New Zealand’s Max Attwell, and Czech Republic’s Vilem Strasky and Ondrey Kopecky. Several Polish athletes, including rising U20 names like Kacper Góralczyk and Szymon Kosmowski, round out the field, alongside experienced local decathletes Rafał Horbowicz and Damian Kuśmierek.
For Shankar, competing in such a field isn’t just about chasing medals. It’s about gaining experience against seasoned European athletes who bring technical depth and consistency across all ten events something Indian decathletes rarely get to do on home soil.
Why This Meet Matters for Indian Combined Events
For Indian athletics, Tejaswin Shankar’s presence at a Gold-level combined events meet is a milestone in itself. Historically, India’s strength in athletics has come from track and field specialists sprinters, jumpers, throwers rather than multi-event athletes. Shankar’s switch to the decathlon has been a breath of fresh air, drawing attention to an event often seen as too technically demanding for athletes coming from countries without established multi-event programs.
Shankar’s Asian silver was important, but medals from Asian competitions don’t always reflect readiness for the global stage, where the technical demands and point totals required are significantly higher. By competing in Poland, Shankar gets a live benchmark: how does his current form especially in events like pole vault, discus, and hurdles stack up against European specialists?
It’s also an opportunity for Shankar to fine-tune his approach ahead of bigger targets, including the next World Athletics Championships and ultimately, the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. The decathlon is about accumulation: not just points on the board, but experiences, lessons, and tactical adjustments that only come from competing in high-level meets abroad.
This meet also adds valuable ranking points, which can help Shankar improve his standing in the World Athletics combined events rankings. A higher ranking can mean easier entry into future major competitions and, importantly, recognition that extends beyond Asia.
Looking Beyond Tejaswin: What It Means for Indian Athletics
While the spotlight is on Shankar, his participation reflects a larger trend: Indian athletics slowly branching into traditionally underrepresented events. India’s growing presence in middle- and long-distance running, combined events, and technical events like pole vault and hammer throw signals a shift from being known only for a few specialist events.
It’s also a lesson in career reinvention. Tejaswin Shankar first made his name in high jump, even representing India at the World Championships and Commonwealth Games. Transitioning to the decathlon required learning new events including technically challenging disciplines like pole vault and javelin. His progress underscores the value of adaptability and long-term thinking in an athlete’s career.
And for young Indian athletes, seeing Shankar’s name on the same start list as European decathletes is symbolic. It shows that Indian athletes can move beyond regional competitions and aim to be part of the global conversation.
The 4th Wiesław Czapiewski Memorial might not be as widely known to casual fans as the Diamond League or World Championships, but in the world of combined events, it is an important stop. For Tejaswin Shankar, it’s a chance to test his training, resilience, and technique against some of the sport’s best and for Indian athletics, it’s another step towards building a complete track and field culture.
As Shankar steps onto the track in Nakło nad Notecią on 26–27 July, fans back home will watch closely. Beyond medals and point totals, his performance will be about progress both personal and for Indian decathlon itself.
