Neeraj Chopra to spearhead 22-member Indian athletics team in World C'ships

New Delhi: Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will headline a 22-member Indian athletics team at the World Championships to be held in Eugene, USA from July 15 to 24.

The selected team includes 17 men and five women athletes.

Race walker Bhawana Jat and veteran discuss thrower Seema Punia has withdrawn from the elite championships.

Just like Bhawana, Seema gave the event a miss as she too wanted to focus on the Commonwealth Games, an event where she bagged medals in the last four editions.

"She wants to concentrate on the Commonwealth Games, where she won four medals. She feels she has better chance there and we also feel the same," Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president Adilee Sumariwala said while announcing the team.

Besides Chopra and Rohit Yadav is the other javelin thrower in the team.

3000m steeplechaser Avinash Sable, shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor, long jumpers Murali Sreeshankar and Muhammed Anees Yahiya, triple jump trio of Abdulla Aboobacker, Praveen Chithravel and Eldhose Paul, all of whom have qualified, Sandeep Kumar (20km Race Walking), MP Jabir (400m Hurdles), Noah Nirmal Tom, Muhammed Ajmal, Naganathan Pandi, Rajesh Ramesh and Muhammed Anas Yahiya (4x400m) have found a place in the team. The squad also includes Amoj Jacob (4x400m) but his participation is subject to fitness. In case he is not fit, Arokia Rajiv will replace him in the relay squad. Among women, S Dhanalakhsmi (200m), Aishwarya Kailash Mishra (400m), Parul Chaudhary (3000m Steeplechase), Annu Rani (Javelin Throw) and Priyanka Goswami (20km Walk) have made

the cut.