Bhubaneswar, June 24: The 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships begins at the Kalinga Stadium on Wednesday (June 24), with India’s top track and field athletes battling not just for national honours but also for coveted places in the country’s squad for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya in Japan.
The five-day competition assumes enormous significance as it serves as the sole selection trial for the Asian Games later this year. With qualification standards to be achieved and places up for grabs, some of the biggest names in Indian athletics will be in action in Bhubaneswar. Also Read: India’s Pole Vault Revolution Eyes Asian Games Glory in Bhubaneswar
Among the headline attractions are former world championship finalist Murali Sreeshankar, Asian Games gold medallists Parul Chaudhary, Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Annu Rani, national record holder and Asian Championships gold medallist in 2025 Gulveer Singh, quarter-miler Vishal TK, Asian Games medallist Harmilan Bains, and rising high jump star Pooja Singh. The men’s long jump competition, in particular, promises to be one of the most competitive events of the championships, featuring Sreeshankar, Jeswin Aldrin, Shahnavaz Khan, David Solomon and Lokesh Sathyanathan.
However, several marquee names will be missing. Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra has been exempted from the championships as he continues his international season and manages his workload. World Championships finalist Sachin Yadav, as broken by myKhel, is absent due to an elbow injury, while national 100m record holder Gurindervir Singh has opted to focus on preparations for the Commonwealth Games. Commonwealth Games medallist Avinash Sable remains sidelined following ACL surgery, while Hima Das and decathlete Tejaswin Shankar are also not competing.
Yet despite the star-studded field, two stories stand out heading into the championships – the ambitions of Odisha’s sprint sensation Animesh Kujur and the long-awaited comeback of national record holder Jyothi Yarraji.
Kujur Eyes Qualification Before Bigger Targets
Competing in front of a home crowd, Kujur enters the championships as one of India’s most exciting sprint prospects.
The Odisha athlete has enjoyed a busy season featuring international competitions, relay assignments and major domestic meets. Having recently lost the national 100m record to fellow Reliance Foundation athlete Gurindervir Singh, Kujur is determined to re-establish himself among India’s fastest men.
“Aim to reclaim my fastest 100m sprinter tag at the Inter-State Athletics Championships, but a lot depends on the field and conditions as well,” Kujur said ahead of the competition.
While the focus for fans may be on times and records, Kujur’s coaching team views the championships differently.
According to James Hillier, High Performance Director of India’s sprint programme under Reliance Foundation, the immediate objective is simple – secure qualification and move on to the next target.
“For those athletes who have qualifying standards close by, we just have to get this done professionally and then shift focus almost immediately to the Commonwealth Games,” Hillier said.
“You can’t be thinking about everything at once, otherwise things get diluted. We have to take it one step at a time.”
Hillier stressed that athletes must take the qualification process seriously regardless of their stature. “We want our athletes qualifying by right. We don’t want to leave anything to chance or leave decisions to a selection committee. If they qualify comfortably, historically they tend to perform well at the Asian Games.”
Martin Owens: Qualification Comes First
Kujur’s coach Martin Owens echoed a similar message. The Reliance Foundation coach at Odisha High Performance Centre here at Kalinga Stadium revealed that the sprinter has endured a hectic travel schedule involving competitions in Taiwan, Mumbai and China before arriving in Bhubaneswar.
Despite the demanding calendar, Owens believes Kujur is in excellent shape. “It is just about qualifying. That’s the main thing. Then we go into camp and work on getting every little bit of the race right,” Owens said.
The coach believes the bigger challenge lies ahead at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, where the sprint field will be significantly stronger.
“The Commonwealth Games is tough. If you look at the rankings, there are around 11 athletes who have gone sub-20. But Animesh is a very good competitor.”
Owens highlighted Kujur’s growing maturity as a championship athlete. He added further, “It’s not about one fast race. It’s about putting together three solid rounds. He learned a lot from last year and understands championship racing much better now.”
The Welsh coach also sees the championships as part of a much larger journey for Indian sprinting. “Our philosophy at Reliance is that India can be competitive internationally. First we become competitive in Asia, then we take the next step. The Commonwealth Games is another stepping stone and the Asian Games another one after that.”
All Eyes on Jyothi Yarraji’s Comeback
If Kujur’s story is about progression, Jyothi Yarraji’s is about resilience. The national record holder in the women’s 100m hurdles returns to competition after a serious injury she suffered last year. The Inter-State Championships will mark her first competitive appearance since the injury setback, as reported by myKhel earlier.
Her return is one of the most anticipated storylines of the championships, but her coaching team is urging caution. Hillier revealed that the ideal plan would have involved a few low-key races before Bhubaneswar, but minor setbacks during rehabilitation delayed her return.
“Ideally, we would have had a couple of competitions before this one. She had a few minor setbacks, which is completely normal when athletes are coming back from serious injuries,” he explained.
The positive news, however, is that Yarraji is finally healthy and training well. “She’s in really good shape. She’s training well and she’s healthy, which I’m happy to report.”
Even so, Hillier believes expectations need to be managed. “This is her first competition in a long time and finding competition rhythm often takes time. I honestly don’t know what she’ll run because you can’t predict these things after a long layoff.”
The focus, he says, is qualification rather than chasing extraordinary performances. “She just needs to qualify. Once that’s done, we get time to prepare her properly for the Asian Games.”
Despite the caution, Hillier remains confident that Yarraji is ready to compete. “I wouldn’t expose her to this competition if I didn’t think she was ready. We’re just trying to be cautiously optimistic.”
A Crucial Week for Indian Athletics
With Asian Games qualification on the line and the Commonwealth Games rapidly approaching, the championships represent one of the most important domestic meets on the Indian athletics calendar.
For established stars such as Sreeshankar, Parul and Toor, it is another opportunity to confirm their credentials. For emerging athletes, it is a chance to force their way into the national squad.
But perhaps no stories are more compelling than those of Animesh Kujur and Jyothi Yarraji – one chasing new heights in front of his home crowd, the other attempting to restart a career interrupted by injury.
Over the next five days at Kalinga Stadium, both athletes will be hoping to take the next important step on their road to the Asian Games.
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