A couple of days before India began their campaign at the Asian Athletics Championship in South Korea, the news of a top athlete testing positive for using banned substances grabbed the headlines. There were trepidations within the contingent that had already landed in Gumi, the venue. For a while now, the Athletics Federation of India has been dogged by doping controversies, with top athletes getting caught even at national camps. Only a great performance at Gumi could act as a balm—and the team did not disappoint. When the meet concluded, India had bagged eight gold, 10 silver and six bronze medals—the country’s best performance on the continental stage since 2017. It changed the mood within the camp.
What augurs well for the AFI is that the championship’s high can be credited to a bunch of youngsters. There were medallists in their late teens. High-jumper Pooja, 18, who comes from a modest background, won gold with what will stand as a national record in the U20 group. Another 18-year-old, Abinaya Rajarajan, was in the 4x100 m women’s relay team. Sprint sensation Animesh Kujur, 21, has been notching up records in 200 m. Quarter-miler Rupal Chaudhary (silver medallist) and long-jumper Shaili Singh are both 20; gold medallist heptathlete Nandini Agasara is 21.
However, the AFI must stay cautious, because what looks good in Asia may not even be among the world’s top 10. Except for multi-medallist Neeraj Chopra, no athlete from India has come close to finishing on the podium at the world stage. The World Championships in Tokyo later this year will give Indian athletes another opportunity to improve their performances. Hopefully, unlike at recent editions, the athletes will not disappoint. As far as the continent is concerned, we would be expected to dominate at Asian Games 2026. It has been a tough time for athletes, with decentralised camps and peers testing positive for banned substances. The AFI believes its plan to give young athletes more training under foreign coaches has helped. This, according to the AFI, has made the athletes fearless while facing big events. The tournaments this year and next will be platforms to sharpen the aim at Los Angeles 2028. We hope the team will stay on target.