Athletics World C'ships 2023: Neeraj Chopra, M Sreeshankar lead Indian charge in Budapest

India have rarely gone into the Athletics World Championships boasting of several medal prospects. But when the 2023 edition begins on Saturday, August 19, the 28-member Indian contingent will be hoping for multiple qualifications into the finals and even a few more medals to boot.

Led by Olympic javelin champion Neeraj Chopra, India have a mix of debutants, like Jyothi Yarraji in 100m hurdles and Shaili Singh along with the returning Murali Sreeshankar and Jeswin Aldrin, all in long jump.

All these athletes will be aiming to kick things off in Budapest, Hungary with strong performances in the lead-up to a year outlined by the race to the 2024 Paris Olympics, and with the delayed 2022 Asian Games coming up in Hangzhou, China.

As the current Diamond League champion and third on the list of throws (88.07 m in the Doha leg) in the 2023 Diamond League, Chopra is certainly the best contender for the top spot on the podium. The 2022 World Championships silver medallist had a good start to his season this year, winning in Doha and most recently in Lausanne, all but securing his spot in the final in Eugene in September.

But what will be weighing on Chopra’s mind is his fitness –...

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