The Tokyo Olympics triumph is done and dusted for star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who is now looking ahead for success in the coming years as he arrived in Chula Vista, United States for his off-season training.
Promising Indian long jumper Kumaravel Prem Kumar's hopes of qualifying for next month's World Championships virtually ended as his creditable 8.12m effort at a meet at Chula Vista in the United States turned out to be wind-assisted and hence cannot enter record books.
India's Vikas Gowda qualified for his maiden finals in the World Championships with a creditable 63.99m effort in the men's discus throw qualification round in Daegu, South Korea, on Monday. He hurled the disc to 63.99m in his second attempt to qualify for Tuesday's finals, as the eighth best out of 12.
Indian discus thrower Seema Antil-Punia, who secured Rio berth after clinching gold at the Pat Young Throwers Classic held, in California, on Sunday, believes, "I have a gut feeling that Rio will be my best Olympic Games."
Indian discus thrower Seema Punia has qualified for the Rio Olympic Games with a throw of 62.62 metres.
Vikas Gowda continued with his fine form as he came up with an effort of 65.14m to win his event.
Jeswin Aldrin, who had already qualified for the championships, however missed the cut.
Murali Sreeshankar became the first Indian male long jumper to qualify for World Athletics Championships finals while 3000 metre steeplechaser Avinash Sable also expectedly made the grade on the opening day of competition, in Eugene, USA, on Saturday.
Long jumper Murali Sreeshankar, steeplechaser Avinash Sable, veteran discus thrower Seema Punia and javelin thrower Annu Rani are expected to win medals at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
India would be looking for at least half a dozen medals in the July 28 to August 8 Games.
The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) on Thursday named a 37-member Indian athletics team, to be led by Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, for the upcoming Commonwealth Games.
