By Admin 
Following the Indians’ disappointing performance at the World championships in Tokyo, the National Open championships, starting at the Birsa Munda Stadium, Morabadi, here on Saturday, will be an opportunity for 700-plus athletes to close the season well.
Without ace javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra’s medal, India drew a blank after six years. While top athletes, including defending champion Neeraj, Asian Games champion Annu Rani and Asian champion long-distance runner Gulveer Singh, performed below par, three — javelin thrower Sachin Yadav (fourth, 86.27m), high jumper Sarvesh Kushare (sixth, 2.28m) and middle-distance runner Pooja (800m heats, 2:01.03) — achieved personal bests in Tokyo.
Kushare and Pooja will add some gloss to this meet, which faces rain threat.
The meet is significant as the Athletics Federation of India will select top-six sprinters for the 2026 Asian Games 4x100m relay team from here. Two more will be picked on the basis of their overall performance in 2025.
The men’s 100m event will have former National record holders Manikanta Hoblidhar and Amiya Mallick, Fed Cup champion Pranav Gurav, defending champion Lalu Prasad Bhoi, Amlan Borgohain and Inter-state champion S. Tamil Arasu.
However, National record holder Animesh Kujur (10.18) and Gurindervir Singh (10.20) will be absent.
In women’s 100m, Srabani Nanda, Nithya Gandhe and Abinaya Rajarajan are among the leading names.
Worlds participants Rohit Yadav and Yashvir Singh apart from Vikrant Malik and Shivam Lohakare will form a competitive javelin field. National record holder Dev Meena (5.40m), joint inter-State champions M. Gowtham and G. Reegan (5.20m) and former National record holder Siva S. (5.31m) can make pole vault interesting.
Tejas Shirse (110m hurdles), who participated in Tokyo, shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor, quartermilers Rajesh Ramesh and Kiran Pahal and 2018 Asian Games heptathlon champion Swapna Barman, who is making a comeback, are among the well-known name. Some athletes, who have completed their suspension for doping, will also return to action.