More than 80 Indian athletes have qualified for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. The number may rise because there is still time for a berth at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Indian athletes from ten sports have qualified for the Summer Olympics.

When will the Tokyo Olympics start?

Due to COVID the 2020 Olympics were postponed, and the now the Tokyo Olympics will start from 23rd July 2021. It will run till 8th August, 2021.

Indian Athletes Qualified for 2020 Olympics in Tokyo: In Detailed

Till now only athletes from nine sports have qualified for the 2020 Olympics. We will discuss every Indian Athletes who qualified for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

Archery

The minimum qualification standard for men is set at 640 points and woman at 605 points for Archery. The below players have qualified for the sport Archery in 2020 Olympics.

1. Tarundeep Rai, Men's Recurve
2. Atanu Das, Men's Recurve
3. Pravin Jadhav, Men's Recurve
4. Deepika Kumari, Women's Recurve

Along with them the Men's Trio has also qualified for the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

Athletics

Many Indian Athletes have made history in the Athletics department in this year's qualification. Below are the list of players who have qualified in the athletics department.

1. Bhawana Jat, Women's 20km race walking
2. Priyanka Goswami, Women's 20km race walking
3. Kamalpreet Kaur, Women's discus throw
4. Neeraj Chopra, Men's javelin throw
5. Shivpal Singh, Men's javelin throw
6. Avinash Sable, Men's 3000m steeplechase
7. Rahul Rohilla, Men's 20km race walking
8. Sandeep Kumar, Men's 20km race walking
9. KT Irfan, Men's 20km race walking
10. Murali Sreeshankar, Men's long jump
11. 4x400 Mixed Relay Team

Bhawana Jat became the first Indian women to qualify in the 20 kilometer race, walk event after bettering the national record. Perhaps, it was her Gold Medal timing of 1:29:54 secs in Ranchi that helped her secured that place.

KT Irfan, Sandeep Tomar and Rahul Rohilla qualified for the Men's 20km race. KT Irfan qualified on the basics of his fourth position at the Asian Race Waling Championship in Japan.

Meanwhile, another national record was broken as Avinash Sable clocked 8:21:37s in the Men's 3000m steeplechase. He broke his own record with a timing of  8:20.20s in the Federation Cup.

Read Also: Milkha Singh: My last wish to see India win gold in athletics at the Olympics

The Javelin Success

Neeraj Chopra, the star of Indian Javelin Team did not fail to keep his promise. He had already qualified for the 2020 Olympics at the ACNW League meeting in South Africa. He delivered a throw of 87.86m. Neeraj broke his own record at the Indian Grand Prix in Patiala with a throw of 88.07m. Shivpal Singh joined him with a throw of 85.47 in the ACNW League Meeting.

Mhummed Anas, Velluva Vismaya, Jisna Mathew and Noah Tom will participate in the 4*400 relay event. They qualified by participating in the final of the relay competition at the IAAF world championship, Doha.

Read how Murali Sreeshankar long jumped into his first ever Olympic berth.

Boxing

1. Vikas Krishan (Men's, 69kg)
2. Lovlina Borgohain (Women's, 69kg)
3. Simranjit Kaur (Women's, 60kg)
4. Manish Kaushik (Men's, 63kg)
5. Amit Panghal (Men's, 52kg)
6. Mary Kom (Women's, 51kg)
7. Satish Kumar (Men's, 91kg)
8. Pooja Rani (Women's, 75kg)
9. Ashish Kumar (Men's, 75kg)

All of them cemented their spot at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 by the virtue of their performances in the Asian boxing Olympic qualifiers in Amman.

Mary Kom will be in focus. As the veteran boxes has already announced that it will her last Olympic.

Read Also: 10 Inspiring Indian Sportswomen: International Women's Day Special

Fencing

1. Bhavani Devi

No one from India has ever participated in an Olympics in the Fencing department. Bhavani Devi will be the first Indian to do so in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. She is the first Indian fencer to qualify for the Olympics. The Adjusted Official Ranking helped her to qualify.

Golf

1. Anirban Lahiri
2. Aditi Ashok

Both Anirban Lahiri and Aditi Ashok debuted at the Rio Olympics in 2016. This will be their second Olympics in a row.

Gymnastics

1. Pranati Nayek

Pranati Nayek is the only Indian Gymnast to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.

Read Also: Tokyo Olympics 2020: India's top 10 medal contenders at Tokyo

Hockey

1. Indian Men's Hockey Team
2. Indian Women's Hockey Team

Hockey is one of India's strong holds in the Olympics. The Men's Hockey will be playing their 20th Olympics. Where as the Women's team will look to do wonders who will be featuring for the third time in the Olympics.

Rowing

1. Arjun Jat, men's lightweight double sculls.
2. Arvind Singh, men's lightweight double sculls.

Shooting

15 Indian shooters have qualified for the Tokyo Games in 2021. This is by far the largest contingent for India in any department in any games.

1. Divyansh Singh Panwar, 10 meter air rifle
2. Deepak Kumar, 10 meter air rifle
3. Saurabh Chaudhary, 10 meter air pistol
4. Abhishek Verma, 10 meter air pistol
5. Anjum MOudgil, 10 meter air rifle
6. Apurvi Chandela, 10 meter air rifle
7. Manu Bhaker, 10 meter air pistol
8. Yashaswini Deawai, 10 meter air pistol
9. Rahi Sarnobat, 25 meter pistol
10. Chinki Yadav, 25 meter pistol
11. Sanjeev Rajpoot, 50 meter rifle three positions
12. Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, 50 meter rifle three positions
13. Tejaswini Sawant, 50 meter rifle three position
14. Angad Singh Bajwa, skeet
15. Miaraj Ahmad Khan, skeet

Divyansh Singh Panwar and Elavenil Valarivan are highest-ranked shooters in the world in 10 meter Air Rifle category. India can hope for success in shooting just like 2012 London Games.

Sailing

1. Vishnu Saravanan, Laser Standard
2. Nethra Kumanan, Laser Radial
3. KC Ganapathy and Varun Thakkar, 49er

This is the first time when India has more than two sailor in a single Olympic.

Table Tennis

Four Indian Singles Table Tennis players have qualified for the Tokyo Games 2021.

1. Sharath Kamal
2. Sathiyan Gnanasekaran
3. Sutirtha Mukherjee
4. Manika Batra

Manika Batra and Sharath Kamal will also pair with each other in the mixed-doubles category. Batra is the top ranked Table Tennis Player. She qualified by virtue of ranking along with Sharath Kamal. Whereas, Sathiyan and Mukherjee booked their spots at the Asian Qualifiers.

Wrestling

Wrestling is the sport that Indians hopes to bring more medals to the country. Four Indian wrestlers have already qualified for the Olympics. However, the association will take the last call.

1. Deepak Punia, Men's Freestyle 86 kg
2. Ravi Kumar Dahiya, Men's Freestyle 57 kg
3. Bajrang Punia, Men's Freestyle 65 kg
4. Vinesh Phogat, Women's Freestyle 53 kg
5. Seema Bisla, Women's Freestyle, 50kg
6. Anshu Malik, Women's Freestyle 57kg
7. Sumit Malik, Men's Freestyle 125 kg
8. Sonam Malik, Women's Freestyle 62kg

Bajrang will be confident post his Gold Medal at Gold Cast, in 2018. Vinesh and Deepak also can be contender for medals in their respective categories.

Equestrian

One of the unusual games at the Olympics. Only one Indian Athlete got Olympic berth in the Equestrian.

1. Fouaad Mirza

He was first Indian since 1982 to win a medal at an individual event in the sport at the Asian Games. Fouaad Mirza is also the first Indian equestrian to qualify for the Games in 20 years. Moreover he was also the first Indian athlete to qualify for the 2020 Olympics.

The Ultimate Table Tennis 2025 season is set to take place from May 29 to June 15 at EKA Arena in Ahmedabad, the organisers announced on Friday.

This will be the sixth season of India's premier table tennis league, featuring eight teams with top Indian and international table tennis stars. The defending champions, Goa Challengers, will aim for a third consecutive title.

The tournament which started in 2017, has seen Indian Table Tennis stars like Sharath Kamal, Manika Batra, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, Manav Thakkar and Sutirtha Mukherjee, alongside international stars like Olympic silver medallist Petrissa Solja AND Tiago Apolónia

8 teams will be divided into two groups and every team will have six players in their squad. Each tie will have five matches. Last season. Goa Challengers defended their title against Dabang Delhi TTC in Chennai. 

Read Also | Manika Batra creates history- First Indian to reach the WTT quarterfinals

Ultimate Table Tennis 2025 Schedule & Venue

• Tournament Dates: May 29 – June 15, 2025
• Venue: EKA Arena, Ahmedabad
• Final Match: June 15, 2025

UTT 2025 Format & Rules

• Teams: 8
• Players per Team: 6 (including 2 international stars)
• Groups: 2 groups of 4 teams each
• League Stage: 5 ties per team
  • 3 matches within the group
  • 2 matches against randomly selected teams from the other group
• Knockouts: Top 4 teams advance to semi-finals
• Final: June 15, 2025

Each tie consists of five matches:

• 2 Men’s Singles Matches
• 2 Women’s Singles Matches
• 1 Mixed Doubles Match

Teams in UTT 2025

Streaming Details

The streaming details of the UTT 2025 have not been announced yet. 

The year 2025 is going to be exciting for Indian sports fans as it promises an action-packed calendar. This includes world events in hockey, squash, boxing, badminton, shooting and cricket, alongside the National Games and Khelo India competitions. The country is set to witness a wide range of sporting events this year. 

Also Read: Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2024: Full Winners List

After bidding goodbye to an eventful 2024, an exciting 2025 awaits sports fans as far as India are concerned. India will host several big competitions across sports this year, including the Women’s ODI World Cup and the Para World Athletics Championships.

Apart from hosting competitions, India will also take part in several multi-nation tournaments internationally, including the ICC Champions Trophy which will be held in a hybrid model with matches taking place in Pakistan and UAE.

Also Read: ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 schedule announced

Several Indian athletes and teams, including the likes of Neeraj Chopra and Manu Bhaker, will be in action this year. The India women’s cricket team will hope to end a long wait to possibly clinch the Women’s ODI World Cup.

Here’s the complete list of major sports events in India 2025.

Major sports events in India 2025

Two-time Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra has announced the beginning of an exciting new chapter in his career. Neeraj on Saturday announced the appointment of great javelin thrower Jan Zelezny as his new coach.

Also Read: NEERAJ CHOPRA INJURY: A SAGA OF STRAIN, TECHNIQUE, AND RECOVERY

Jan Zelezny, a three-time Olympic and world champion and current world record holder, has long been Chopra's idol. Actually, Neeraj Chopra was working with German coach Klaus Bartonietz till now, but Klaus has recently retired from coaching.

Announcing the new coach, Neeraj said, “Growing up, I admired Jan’s technique and precision and spent a lot of time watching videos of him. He was the best in the sport for so many years, and I believe that working with him will be invaluable because our throwing styles are similar, and his knowledge is unmatched. It’s an honour to have Jan by my side as I push towards the next level in my career, and I can’t wait to get started,” 

Chopra didn't breach 90m mark

Chopra, 26, won a historic gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics and silver at the Paris Olympics 2024, as well as two world championships medals, silver at the 2022 Eugene edition and gold at the 2023 Budapest. However, over the past few years, Chopra has expressed his desire to breach the 90m mark. His alliance with Bartonietz after Paris, where Chopra again failed to hit the 90m mark while Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem won gold with an Olympic record 92.97m.

Also Read: Neeraj Chopra’s best throws: Here are all the top throws by javelin ace Neeraj Chopra

Under Zelezny's guidance, Neeraj will try to take his success to a different level. On this occasion, Jan Zelezny said, “I have already spoken about Neeraj as a great talent many years ago. When I saw him early in his career, I realised great possibilities for top results. I also said that if I should start to coach somebody from outside Czechia, my first choice would be Neeraj. I like his story and I see big potential, as he is young and able to improve."

Zelezny broke WR on four occasions

Jan Zelezny, a gold medalist at the 1992, 1996, and 2000 Olympic Games, has five of the top ten best throws of all time. In 1996, he set a world record in Germany with a throw of 98.48m. He broke the world record on four occasions.

When Chopra won gold at the Tokyo 2020, Zelezny was the coach of both other medalists Jakub Vadlejch (silver) and Vítězslav Veselý (bronze).. He has also coached two-time Olympic champion and three-time world champion Barbora Špotáková.

World Athletics has earlier announced that athletes should wear shoes with a uniform 20-millimeter sole thickness limit for all events. This rule will come into action on November 1st, 2024, marking a notable change in the actions of the athletes.

This rule has been induced to welcome fairness in the game. However, this has sparked controversies. While many athletes have accepted it, some are still in dilemmas about the rule.

Well, let's look at how the rule will impact the performance. However, for now, let's look at the present thickness.

Current Shoe Sole Thickness Rules in Athletics

Presently, there is no such uniformity of sole thickness. Thickness normally varies according to the events in which the athletes participate.

Suppose, in events where an athlete will have run more than 800 meters, shoes are allowed to have a sole up to 25 mm. However, when it comes to shorter distances, the maximum thickness has been limited to 20 mm.

For field events, including the high jump, athletes have a 20mm limit. But for the triple jump, athletes are allowed to wear shoes with soles up to 25mm.

These rules were implemented in January 2022, based on the technological advancements in shoes. However, from 1st November this year, there will be no distinction in sole thickness in different events.

Point to be noted: the rules for road events like marathons and race walks, which permit a 40mm sole thickness, will remain unchanged.

Why is World Athletics enforcing a 20mm sole limit?

The main motto of World Athletics is to ensure fairness. As a result of this, the federation has decided to apply the rule of a uniform 20mm limit to the sole.

In recent years, advances in shoe technology—particularly with thicker soles and carbon fiber plates—have sparked debates about whether these shoes offer athletes some unfair advantage.

Thus, World Athletics created its own Working Group on Athletic Shoes in 2020. The main task of this group is to analyze the impact of shoe technology on performance. They also draft regulations, ensuring that athletes are focusing more on skills and not technology.

The new rule was announced well in advance to give shoe manufacturers ample time to adapt their designs.

Athletes' Reactions to the 20mm Rule Change

Top athletes have had mixed reactions to the upcoming rule. Joshua Cheptegei, the Olympic and World Champion in the 10,000 meters, supports the change, describing it as "for the benefit of the sport."

He added that the thinner soles won’t necessarily lead to slower times, emphasizing that performance is often influenced by an athlete's mindset. Cheptegei also noted that recent shoe technology has aided recovery between training sessions, which could be impacted by the new regulations.

Meanwhile, Muktar Edris, a former two-time 5,000m World Champion, said that a thicker sole helps the athletes, providing them extra "energy" and "push." A reduced sole may hamper a regular action.

The Controversy Surrounding Shoe Technology

The controversy regarding shoe technology is nothing new. Before 2022, the track spikes had soles with thicknesses up to 30 mm.

During the Tokyo Olympics, legendary sprinter Usain Bolt brought this issue to the public, citing the unfair advantage an athlete may receive due to thicker boots. Not only that, but with the increased use of technologically advanced shoes, world records that looked unbreakable are at stake.

Karsten Warholm, the one who holds the World Record in 400m hurdles, also expressed his concern. After winning the gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics, he questioned the boots of the runner-up, Rai Benjamin.

Warholm made serious claims that Benjamin used thicker Nike soles that provided the later an unfair advantage. Warholm's remarks not only concerned the federation but drew attention to the fine line between technological innovation and "technological doping."

The Impact of Shoe Technology on Performance

Eliud Kipchoge, the first athlete who broke the two-hour marathon barrier in 2019, sparked controversies at his time as well. He used the Nike Alphafly, which featured thick soles and carbon plates. However, the nature of the event didn't let that record count. 

Later, World Athletics introduced a rule. It required the new shoes to be in the open market for at least four months prior to the competition. This rule also aspired to thwart athletes with exclusive shoe deals from gaining an unfair advantage.

Will the 20mm sole limit affect athlete performance?

It is not exactly negative, but the athletes will solely depend on their physical abilities and techniques. Yes, a few athletes do consider this to hurt their performance, but just like Cheptegei mentioned, mental resilience and training will play a crucial role in breaking records or achieving personal bests (PB).

Well, a reduced cushion in the sole will demand more energy from the athlete. Thus, athletes need to adjust their training regimes to adapt to the new rules.

World Athletics had mentioned clearly that they want to promote uniformity. They want the athletes to rely on their power and skills, not some technology beneath their feet, that will change and evolve with time. 

However, with shoe manufacturers rushing to adapt their designs, the real test will come when athletes compete under the new regulations in 2024.

The art of javelin throw is a perfect balance of both technique and power. And Neeraj Chopra, who relies mostly on technique, is struggling due to his recurring groin injury With a jam-packed schedule since the last year, he "ignored" the pain, for the sake of participation. However, with a clear window till mid-2025, it is high time for the 2024 Paris Olympics Silver medallist to undergo the required treatment. Additionally, he fractured his hand while practising, during the Brussels Diamond League, thus calling off, for this year, at least.

The Groin Injury: An Unseen Strain Troubling Neeraj Chopra

In 2018, Neeraj Chopra got an inury in his erector muscles which was healed. However, it has resurfaced since last year, at Bhubaneshwar, at the middle of June.

Chopra's physio Ishan Marwah, has been monitoring him closely. he explained the injury in Layman terms- the erector muscles are directly connected to the pelvic bones. Thus the injury is giving strain to the muscles, hampering his normal run up, followed by this throw.

In the most ideal situation, Neeraj would like to increase the speed of his run- up. This needs quicker movement of his right leg and hips. However, the strain is preventing him from doing so, leading to a compromised throwing technique. His block leg, i.e., the left leg, is crucial for delivering power in the final phase of the throw. But with the injury lingering, he’s unable to fully complete that movement. What looks like his signature fall after each throw, is nothing but a visual representation of his technical failures.

Technical Hurdles: The Cascade Effect

As mentioned earlier, javelin is a highly technical sport. The body needs to be in motion and in absolute sync. Neeraj Chopra suffering from groin injury has led to a cascading effect on his entire throwing mechanism. As Ishan explained to multiple sources, his right leg is not performing in the required way. Thus, Chopra falls more on his left, bending it slightly, which is, ideally not good for a powerful throw.

The rule books say, the perfect projectile will get the spear fall centrally or slightly to the right. However, in Chopra’s case, the javelin is turning to the left due to him falling leftward at the end of his throw. This is the major flaw he is having due to the injury.

In the last few outings, Chopra hasn’t been in his signature best form. He has an initial season best in the Olympics Qualifier itself with an impressive throw of at 89.34. He sealed the Olympics silver with 89.49 meters in the finals.

However, his signature "roar" was vividly missing.

Read also: Neeraj Chopra’s best throws: Here are all the top throws by javelin ace Neeraj Chopra

The Chicken and Egg Situation: Neeraj Chopra Sandwiched between Injury and Technique

The groin injury has got Neeraj Chopra in a vicious cycle. The injury is hampering his daily practice routine. As per Marwah, Neeraj earlier has to have 2 to 3 sessions of practice each week. Each session has 35 to 40 throws. With the injury becoming a growing concern, Neeraj had to reduce the no of sessions, each having around 20 throws. Lack of practice is affecting his technique, which is directly causing more strain. Again, Ishan clarified that adequate training is the way to cure the strain. 

Neeraj, Unlike Arshad Nadeem or the Germans, has depended more on technique and not power. He has his shoulder flexibility as his biggest pros, but with the injury in the scene, things got hampered.

However, Marwah is optimistic, hoping that proper medical advice and rehabilitation will fully recover Chopra. The latter is having the right shape, and with proper rehabilitation, he can aim to add an extra 3 to 4 meters to his throw. However, that requires adequate rest, and avoiding risks, which calls for skipping certain competitions.

Neeraj Chopra signs off for 2024, with hand injury

Soon after the Brussels Diamond League, Neeraj Chopra took to his social media handle to inform about his hand injury. He informed, that he had fractured the fourth metacarpal in his left hand during practice. He thus, is calling off his professional participation, for this year. Despite this, Chopra sealed a second position, that too by missing the 24-carat Diamond, by just a centimetre (87.86 m).

As the 2024 season ends, I look back on everything I’ve learned through the year - about improvement, setbacks, mentality and more.

On Monday, I injured myself in practice and x-rays showed that I had fractured the fourth metacarpal in my left hand. It was another painful… pic.twitter.com/H8nRkUkaNM

— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) September 15, 2024

What the future calls

A gold in the Tokyo Olympics has raised the expectations bar to such a level, that whiskers feel like major losses. The present air is more concerned about him touching the magic 90 m Mark, more than him recovering. 

With the groin injury being a major issue, the fracture has gotten Neeraj Chopra an “added advantage” to pull off the curtain for now. As the javelin world awaits to see what comes next for him, one thing is certain: his determination, resilience, and unmatched focus will continue to push him forward. At days, it should be recovery, more than crossing 90 meters on the court.