India trim Asian Games squad to 74 athletes, former javelin medallist misses out
The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has trimmed India’s athletics contingent for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, with former javelin throw gold medallist Annu Rani among three athletes dropped from the squad.
Rani, who won gold in the women’s javelin throw at the previous edition, will miss the upcoming Games after failing to achieve the qualification mark set by the AFI during the final trial in Delhi on Thursday. Sprinter Nithya Gandhe and rising long jumper Shahnavaz Khan were the other two athletes removed from the contingent.
The decision was taken during a virtual meeting of the AFI Selection Committee on Friday, reducing the athletics contingent from the 77 athletes originally named on September 3 to 74.RANI FALLS SHORT
AFI Selection Committee chairman Adille Sumariwalla confirmed that Rani’s exclusion was based on the qualification criteria set by the governing body.
“Annu did not achieve qualification mark (set by AFI) in the final trial (on Thursday), hence not selected for the Asian Games,” Sumariwalla told PTI.
“Nithya and Shahnavaz will not go for Asian Games due to poor performance and medical reasons,” he added.
Rani had competed at the Indian Athletics Series Final at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi on Thursday, an event that served as the confirmatory trial for the Asian Games squad. She won gold in the women’s javelin with a throw of 57.21m, but the effort was not enough to meet the qualification benchmark set by the AFI.
Her omission is particularly significant given her status as the defending Asian Games champion. Rani won the women’s javelin gold at the previous edition, making her one of the most prominent names to miss out from India’s athletics contingent for Aichi-Nagoya.
However, her previous success did not guarantee selection, with the AFI’s qualification requirement taking precedence. Despite winning gold in Delhi, Rani was unable to achieve the mark required by the federation during the final trial.
Gandhe and Khan were also removed from the squad following the final assessment. While Gandhe’s exclusion was attributed to medical reasons, Khan was dropped on performance grounds, according to Sumariwalla.
The AFI had initially selected 77 athletes for the upcoming Asian Games, but the confirmatory event in Delhi prompted the federation to reassess the composition of the contingent.
Following Friday’s decision, the remaining 74 athletes are scheduled to depart for Japan from New Delhi on Saturday.
India will therefore head into the athletics competition at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games without Rani, who had been one of the country’s successful performers at the previous edition. Her absence leaves India without its defending women’s javelin champion, while the AFI’s final selection has also brought the athletics contingent down by three athletes ahead of the Games.- EndsPublished By: Amar PanickerPublished On: Sep 11, 2026 21:51 IST
