Annu Rani Dropped as India Trim Asian Games Athletics Squad to 74
Defending Asian Games javelin champion Annu Rani has missed India's 2026 athletics squad after falling short of the AFI qualification mark.
India's athletics contingent for the 2026 Asian Games has been reduced from 77 to 74 athletes, with defending women's javelin champion Annu Rani among the notable omissions. Sprinter Nithya Gandhe and long jumper Shahnavaz Khan have also been dropped following the final assessment.
Rani won the javelin event at the Indian Athletics Series Final in Delhi with a season-best throw of 57.50m. However, she fell 12cm short of the Athletics Federation of India's qualification standard of 57.62m. The Delhi event was only a confirmatory trial and did not provide another qualifying opportunity for athletes who had not previously met the required mark.
The 34-year-old had won gold at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou with a 62.92m throw, but she has struggled to reproduce that level in recent seasons. Her personal best of 63.82m remains the national record.
Gandhe, selected for the women's 4x100m relay, was also left out after finishing ninth in the 100m final in Delhi. Her omission could allow Harita Bhadra, who won the race in 11.22 seconds, to join the relay squad, subject to approval.
Shahnavaz was the third athlete removed from the contingent due to performance concerns. The final 74-member athletics team will travel to Japan on Saturday before an acclimatisation camp near Tokyo.
