National Inter-State Athletics 2024: How Far are Indian Athletes from Paris Olympics Qualification?

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National Inter-State Athletics 2024: The Indian track and field athletes are set for a final push in their bid to qualify for the Paris Olympics 2024. They will be competing at the 63rd National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships, starting Thursday, June 27, until Sunday, June 30.

The event, taking place at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Panchkula, Haryana, will be Indian athletes’ final chance to make it count. More than podium finishes, most Indian athletes will be looking to breach the Paris 2024 Olympic entry standards in their respective events.

For many, this championship isn't just about winning medals; it's about meeting the Paris 2024 Olympic entry standards. Athletes have two routes to secure their Olympic dreams: either breach the entry standard or achieve a high position in the official rankings of the World Athletics for the Olympics.

The rankings also take into consideration the ranking of a tournament. As per the global body rules, the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships falls in the B category (6th level among all categories), suggesting that a direct qualification mark is a better target than the alternate route.

Saying that, the direct standards are set high enough for Indian athletes to break national records, making the alternate route plausible. Let’s take a look at the current scenario and the chances of potential Indian athletes making the cut for the Paris Olympics 2024.

Tajinderpal Singh Toor

The Asian Games gold medallist in men’s shot put, unfortunately, will miss the championships due to an ankle injury. But don't count him out just yet—ranked 25th among the top 32 in the qualification rankings, Toor's chances of heading to Paris are still very much alive.

Jyothi Yarraji

In the women's 100m hurdles, Jyothi Yarraji has come tantalizingly close to qualifying, missing the mark by just 0.01 seconds twice. This championship is her final shot at breaching the 12.77s entry standard. Ranked 31st out of the top 40, she's within reach of qualification but securing the entry standard would not just seal the deal but boost her confidence ahead of Paris Olympics.

Men’s Triple Jumpers

Abdulla Aboobacker (21st) and Praveen Chithravel (24th) are well-positioned within the top 32 and look set to qualify. They'll be aiming to surpass the entry mark of 17.22m. On the other hand, Commonwealth Games champion Eldhose Paul, currently at 48th, faces an uphill battle to breach the mark and secure his spot.

Men’s High Jumpers

National-record holder Tejaswin Shankar (38th), Jesse Sandesh (69th), and Sarvesh Kushare (66th) all need to surpass the 2.33m direct entry standard or come up with their season-best to break into the top 32 and keep their Olympic dreams alive.

Women’s Long Jump

Long jump prodigy Shaili Singh (ranked 46th) and India's season leader Nayana James (68th) are uncomfortably sitting way outside the top 32 and are vying to breach the 6.86m mark, which will also end the two-decade-old national record of legendary Anju Bobby George. Apart from the two, Asian Games silver medallist Ancy Sojan will like to spring a surprise too after starting her season late due to injury.

Javelin Throw

Comfortably ranked 19th in the women’s javelin throw, national record holder Annu Rani is well within the top 32. However, the Indian javelin queen has been struggling to throw big for the last two seasons, as she has breached the 60m mark just once while the direct qualification mark is set at 64m.

As far as men's are concerned, Neeraj Chopra and Kishore Jena have already grabbed two of the three places allotted to each nations. This leaves Manu DP and Neeraj's long-time training partner Rohit Yadav to fight it out for the remaining spot with the qualification mark set at 85.50m. Manu, however, is ranked 15th in the men’s javelin throw and is likely to qualify even if he doesn't hit the mark.

Jeswin Aldrin

The national record holder in men’s long jump with an 8.42m leap, Jeswin is on the cusp at the 32nd spot. He must breach the 8.27m qualification mark to ensure his place in Paris. However, what has troubled the 21-year-old jumper this season has been his form as going past the 8m-mark has been a painstaking effort for him.

Abha Khatua

With a national record throw of 18.41m in the women’s shot put event at the Federation Cup a couple of months ago, Abha Khatua is now ranked 25th. She made her intentions clear back then that she would do whatever she could to surpass the 18.80m mark for a direct qualification.

List of Track and Field Athletes Who Have Already Qualified for Paris Olympics