Paris Olympics: Indian Shot Putter Abha Khatua's Participation Uncertain As Name Missing From World Athletics' List

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In a shocking turn of events, Abha Khatua, India's top shot putter, has been left out of the Indian athletics team's list of Olympic participants published by World Athletics. This news comes as a surprise, especially since Khatua had already travelled to Poland for training with other Indian athletes ahead of the Paris Olympics 2024.

According to reports, World Athletics published the list on Friday, July 12, and it included only 29 Indian track and field athletes. Khatua, who qualified for the Olympics through the world ranking route, was not included in the list despite being one of the top contenders in the women's shot put event.

The 29-year-old secured the 21st spot in the Road to Paris World Athletics rankings to seal her spot for the Summer Olympics 2024. The track and field athletes are expected to reach Paris on July 28. However, Khatua's exclusion from the list has raised concerns about her participation in the Olympics.

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) had entered 30 athletes, including two reserves, for the Paris Olympics. However, Khatua's name was missing from the list published by World Athletics. AFI officials were tight-lipped about the issue, with one official stating that they were not aware of any problems.

However, another official revealed that the AFI had brought the matter to the attention of World Athletics.

Abha Khatua's journey to the Paris Olympics 2024 qualification

Khatua's journey to the Olympics has been nothing short of remarkable. She broke the women's shot put national record of 18.06m set by Manpreet Kaur at the Federation Cup 2024 with a gold-winning throw of 18.41m. However, she missed the Paris Olympic qualification mark of 18.80m by 0.39cm.

Previously, she equaled the national record at the Asian Athletics Championships 2023 before breaking it at the Federation Cup. The Maharashtrian shot putter then secured a gold-winning throw of 17.53m at the National Inter-State Championships, which helped claim a spot in the Paris Games. It was a 'B' category event, and thus, even a mediocre '17.53'm throw earned her 1059 points and gave her ranking a push to 21st.

The women's shot put event in Paris will feature 32 athletes, with 15 automatically qualifying by surpassing the 18.80m mark and 17 others, including Khatua, making the cut through world rankings. Khatua's exclusion from the list has raised concerns, and it remains to be seen whether she will be able to participate in the Olympics.

The AFI hasn't given any clarification regarding Khatua's exclusion, leaving fans and supporters worried about her participation in the Games