Neeraj Chopra, Kishore Jena Granted Direct Entry into Federation Cup Finals

Star Indian javelin throwers Neeraj Chopra and Kishore Jena have been granted direct entry into the Federation Cup finals in Bhubaneswar on May 15th. This decision was made as both athletes have consistently surpassed the minimum qualification mark of 75m throughout their careers.

Chopra, the reigning Olympic and world champion, recently finished second at the Doha Diamond League with an impressive throw of 88.38m. Jena, the Asian Games silver medalist, made his Diamond League debut but was eliminated after three rounds with a best throw of 76.31m.

DP Manu, who placed sixth at the 2023 World Championships, will also compete directly in the finals. He aims to qualify for the Paris Olympics by achieving a mark of 85.50m.

According to Indian athletics head coach Radhakrishnan Nair, "All those who have crossed 75m will not compete in the qualifying round on Tuesday. There are nine of them from among those who had made entries, including Neeraj and Jena. They will directly compete in the final on Wednesday."

The remaining athletes with marks below 75m will participate in the qualifying round, with the top three joining the nine above-75m throwers in the final.

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) is eagerly anticipating Chopra's first competitive outing in India in three years. "The AFI is not at all surprised at Neeraj taking part in the Federation Cup. His participation in domestic events is undoubtedly a positive development for Indian athletics," stated a senior AFI official.

Chopra has reportedly arrived in India from Doha but will only arrive in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday. Jena, the Asian Games medalist, is expected to arrive later on Monday.

Nair downplayed the injury sustained by men's 4x400m relay squad member Rajesh Ramesh, who withdrew during the second leg of the first round qualifying heat in the Bahamas earlier this month. Ramesh was replaced by Arokia Rajiv, who was also not fully fit, in the second round of the Olympic qualifying heat, and the Indian team secured a Paris ticket.

"Ramesh's injury is not a hamstring pull, it's related to a tendon in the thigh. So, it is not a major injury. He is expected to start training in 10-15 days. Rajiv will also be alright soon," Nair said. "There should not be any problem in Olympics preparation."

A total of 19 track and field athletes have qualified for Paris, and Nair announced that the team will train in Spala, Poland, for four weeks before traveling to Paris for the Olympics. Track and field events commence on August 1st.

"The team will train in Spala before Olympics and we will reach Paris three or four days before the competition starts," he said.

The AFI remains hopeful of the mixed 4x400m relay team's Paris qualification despite its failure in the Bahamas during the World Relays. Only two slots remain available.

"Our mixed 4x400m team will take part in the Asian Relays (May 20-21 in Bangkok) and we can qualify for Paris if we run below 3 minutes 14 seconds, and we feel we can do that," Nair added.

The AFI is reportedly preparing a strategic plan with the goal of winning multiple medals in the 2036 Olympics, regardless of whether India wins the right to host the Games.

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