Bhubaneswar is set to witness top-class athletics action on Sunday as the Kalinga Stadium hosts the Bronze-level Continental Tour, featuring 160 athletes from 17 countries. This marks the city’s biggest track and field event since the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships.
Spotlight on Animesh Kujur
National sprint record holder Animesh Kujur will be India’s top attraction. The 100m and 200m champion is chasing the World Championships qualifying mark of 20.16 seconds in the 200m. Fresh from an impressive season, Kujur has been fine-tuning his performance under coach Martin Owens, focusing on what he calls “the little things that make you go fast.”
Joining him in the sprints is Amlan Borgohain, who earlier this year helped the 4x100m relay team set a national record and also clinched the sprint double at the Indian Open Athletics Meet.
Sreeshankar’s Long Jump Comeback
In the men’s long jump, Murali Sreeshankar will be in focus as he continues his return from knee surgery. He recently claimed gold at the Qosanov Memorial in Kazakhstan with a 7.94m jump, well short of his personal best of 8.41m, but a positive step in his recovery. Among the women, Shaili Singh will start favourite in the absence of Ancy Sojan.
Other Events to Watch
- Triple Jump: Commonwealth Games silver medallist Abdulla Aboobacker is the top contender, arriving after a 16.08m winning leap in Almaty.
- 800m: Mohammed Afsal is aiming to better his national record of 1:44.93, targeting the Worlds entry standard of 1:44.50.
- Men’s Javelin: Sachin Yadav (season-best 85.16m) faces strong competition from Sri Lanka’s Sumedha Ranasinghe and Rumesh Pathirage.
- Women’s Javelin: Veteran Annu Rani will look to maintain her momentum after crossing 60m at a recent meet in Poland.
International Talent
Among the overseas athletes, Malaysia’s Muhd Azeem Fahmi is expected to draw plenty of attention. The national record holder (10.09s) has also clocked 10.01s, though wind-assisted.
With homegrown stars and global names in the mix, Bhubaneswar’s crowd can expect a night of fast times, big jumps, and long throws as athletes chase qualification standards and season-best performances.
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