Yashvir Singh, Rohit Yadav Eye Tokyo Worlds Spots at National Inter-State Athletics in Chennai

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All eyes will be on javelin throwers Yashvir Singh and Rohit Yadav as they gear up for the 64th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships, starting Wednesday at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai. The five-day meet doubles up as the final qualifying opportunity for Indian athletes chasing berths at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo (September 13-21).

For men's javelin, the automatic entry standard is 85.50m, though athletes can also make the cut through world ranking points by the August 24 qualification deadline. Chief national athletics coach Radhakrishnan Nair backed both Yashvir (season best 82.57m) and Rohit (season best 80.47m) to raise their global standing with strong performances in Chennai. The men's javelin final is slated for August 24.

India can field up to three athletes, with a fourth permitted if a wild card is in play. Thanks to his status as defending champion, Neeraj Chopra has an automatic wild card. Sachin Yadav, ranked 22nd globally, is also in contention through the ranking quota. In total, only 36 throwers will compete in Tokyo. Among women, Annu Rani, reigning Asian Games champion, already has sufficient points to qualify and is looking to better her season best of 62.59m recorded earlier in Poland. She recently won the Continental Tour in Bhubaneswar (62.01m).

At the same Bhubaneswar meet, Rohit Yadav finished fourth with 80.35m, though one of his attempts reportedly exceeded the 84m mark but landed outside the legal sector.

The focus won't be limited to javelin. Murali Sreeshankar, Asian and Commonwealth Games long jump medallist, is set for a comeback after injury. His coach and father, S. Murali, said that Sreeshankar is in good nick and capable of matching the qualification mark of 8.27m in Chennai. He recently jumped 8.13m en route to a win at the Continental Tour. Karnataka's Lokesh Sathyanathan is another long jumper with a realistic chance of making the cut.

On the track, sprinter Animesh Kujur will aim to consolidate his ranking points in the men's 200m, with heats on August 22 and the final on August 23. Meanwhile, Ankita, a 3000m steeplechaser from Uttarakhand, needs to dip below 9 minutes 30 seconds to secure her place in Tokyo. Her race will also be held on August 24.