In a blow to India’s medal prospects, triple jumper Praveen Chitravel and javelin thrower Rohit Yadav have pulled out of the Asian Athletics Championships beginning on Wednesday in Bangkok due to injury.
Season’s world-leading long jumper Jeswin Aldrin was also left out the 54-member original team. His participation in the continental showpiece was rendered doubtful after he pulled out of the Lausanne Diamond League on June 30 due to lack of fitness.
Yadav and Chitravel did not accompany the team that left the country on Saturday night from Delhi and Bengaluru.
“Yes, not only Jeswin, Praveen Chitravel and Rohit Yadav have pulled out of the championships,” a team coach told PTI on Sunday.
It is learnt that Yadav’s pulling out was due to an elbow problem, while Chitravel’s injury is not known.
The 22-year-old Yadav had won both the Federation Cup and National Inter-State Championships with throws of 83.40m and 83.28m respectively. He is the fourth best thrower among Asians this season.
Since, the top Asian Neeraj Chopra is not competing in the Asian Championships, Yadav and compatriot D P Manu — ranked second among Asians — were in medal contention in the continental showpiece. Manu thus remains the lone Indian javelin thrower in the fray.
Chitravel, on the other hand, is the season leader among the Asians with his 17.37m effort in an event in Cuba. He had also won gold in the National Inter-State Championships last month with an effort of 17.07m.
Meanwhile, it is also learnt that quarter-milers Muhammed Anas and Anjali Devi also didn’t accompany the Bangkok-bound team though the reason is not known.
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