New Delhi: A 29-member Indian junior athletics team will participate in the 17th Asian Junior Athletics Championships to be held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from June 3-6. While a team of 27 athletes, along with coaches will leave from here tonight, two other promising youngsters, SAF Games javelin champion Neeraj Chopra and 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games bronze medallist in 400 metres, Chandan Bauri will be heading from Spala (Poland) where they are currently training for the 2016 Olympic Games.
The India junior team features a good mix of promising young athletes who have made their mark at the Youth level in 2015 at the Commonwealth Youth Games and Asian Youth Athletics Championships and new faces on the blocks. Amongst the emerging stars in the squad are 800m runner Beant Singh, the hero of the 2015 Doha Asian Youth Championships, long jumper Tajaswin Shankar who won the gold medal in the 2015 Samoa Commonwealth Youth Games, 400m runner Jisna Mathew who won silver medal at the Samoa Games, Asian Youth Championships gold medallist in 3000m, Kisan Narshi Tadvi, in addition to the duo of Chopra and Bauri who are also part of the India senior camp.
The Indian team will be aiming to better their medal haul this time after finishing fifth in the previous Asian Junior Championships held at Taiwan. The Indian team bagged 12 medals, including two gold medals, six silver medals and four bronze medals in the 2014 edition.
India Junior Team: Abhishek Pal (10,000m), Abhitha Mary Manuel (800m), Ajay Kumar Saorj (1500m), Amoj Jacob (800m & 4x400m), Ashish Jakhar (hammer throw), Harmilan Kair Bains (1500m), Harsh Kumar (4x400m), Jisna Mathew (400m & 4x400m), Kisan Narshi Tadvi (5000m & 10,000m), Krishna Kumar Sugumar (decathalon), Lili Das (800m & 1500m), Linet George (4x400m), Maymon Poulose (110m H), Murlikumar Tulsbhai Gavit (5000m), Pankaj Malik (4x400m), Pooja (4x400m), Priya Krishnan (4x400m), Priyadarshani Suresh (triple jump), Priyanka Kerketta (long jump), Shaharbana Sidhique Thadiyan Parambil (400m & 4x400m relay), Sonu Kumar (triple jump), Subha Venkatesan (4x400m relay), Tiasha Samadder (400mH), Ashish Bhalothia (shot put), Beant Singh (800m), Chandan Bauri (400m & 4x400m relay), Gaurav Yadav (javelin throw), Neeraj Chopra (javelin throw) and Tajaswin Shankar (long jump). Manager: Sandeep Mehta. Coaches: Sanjay Garnaik (chief coach), Renu Bala.
