Two-time defending champion Tajinderpal Singh Toor will spearhead a 17-member Indian contingent at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships 2026 to be held in Tianjin, People’s Republic of China, from February 6 to 8. India will field nine men and eight women at the Tianjin meet.
Toor, a two-time Asian Games gold medallist and former continental record holder, could possibly face the biggest challenge to his title defence from a compatriot. Up-and-coming shot-put star Samardeep Singh Gill, who has beaten his senior compatriot four times in a row since April last year, also features in the Indian track and field squad to Tianjin.
Despite the recent head-to-head record, Toor remains India’s benchmark in the event, holding the outdoor national record of 21.49m set in 2021, a mark that stood as the Asian record for nearly three years.
National triple jump record-holder Praveen Chithravel will look to open his 2026 campaign on a positive note, while Tejaswin Shankar, India’s high jump and decathlon national record holder, will contest the indoor heptathlon in China.
India, however, will miss the last edition’s women’s 60m hurdles champion Jyothi Yarraji. Tejas Shirse also withdrew on Wednesday due to a minor ankle injury, noting that a short break would help him recover ahead of the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games later this year.
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A total of 13 Indian athletes competed at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships 2024 in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran. India finished the Tehran meet with four medals, three gold and one silver. Only Toor returns from that list of Indian medallists, with women’s 1500m champion Harmilan Bains, Jyothi Yarraji and 2024 women’s 3000m silver medallist Ankita Dhyani absent this year.
The Asian Indoor Athletics Championships 2026 will be available to watch on live streaming in India.
Indian squad: Men: Manikanta Hoblidhar (60m), J Adrash Ram (high jump), CV Anurag (long jump), Shahnawaz Khan (long jump), Praveen Chithravel (triple jump), Samardeep Singh Gill, Tajinderpal Singh Toor (shot put), Tejaswin Shankar (heptathlon).
Women: Nithya Gandhe (60m), Abhinaya Rajarajan (60m), Moumita Mondal (60m hurdles), Pragyan Prasanti Sahu (60m hurdles), Pooja (high jump), Ancy Sojan (long jump), Moumita Mondal (long jump), Yogita (shot put) and KA Anamika (pentathlon).
