India to field four javelinists at World Athletics Championships Tokyo

India will have an unprecedented four men competing in the javelin at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo next month, the Athletics Federation of India announced, with defending champion Neeraj Chopra joined by Sachin Yadav, Yashvir Singh and Rohit Yadav. The championships run from September 13 to 21, with javelin qualifying set for September 17 and the final on September 18 at the Japan National Stadium.

Neeraj Chopra qualifies as the reigning world champion and therefore occupies a wild card slot that does not count against the usual three-athlete national limit, the federation said. The other three Indians earned places through world rankings, while Rohit secured his berth only after a late withdrawal opened up an invitation spot. Federation officials said this is the first time four athletes from India will compete in the same event at a World Championships.

Adille Sumariwalla, former president of the federation and a vice-president at World Athletics, welcomed the development and voiced hope that all four will reach the final. He recalled that in 2023 India also produced a strong javelin showing in Budapest, where Chopra won gold and two other Indians reached the top...