Credit: Twitter

Credit: Twitter

Lord Hanuman, one of the most sacred deities in India and Hinduism, has been unveiled as the official mascot of the Asian Athletics Championships 2023 on July 11, Tuesday. On the 50th anniversary of the Asian Athletics Association, the continental governing body of track-and-field sports, the five-day tourney will have the top athletes from Asia, looking to give their best performance and bring glory to their respective countries.

The continental event is set to begin on July 12, Wednesday onwards in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. Team India has left for the tourney on Saturday night, from Delhi and Bengaluru, to assert their domination on the athletics scene in the continent. The leaders of the Indian playing group are the long jumper Murali Sreeshankar, and the shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor, the best bet to win the gold medal in the Southeast Asian country.

The Asian Athletics Association released the news about the official mascot on their website while stating their reasoning behind the logo. They wrote, “As Hanuman exhibits extraordinary abilities in (Lord) Rama’s service, including speed, strength, courage, and wisdom ... Hanuman’s greatest ability is, in fact, his incredibly staunch loyalty and devotion.”

“The 25th Asian Athletics Championships 2023 logo indicates the athletes participating in the games, skills, teamwork of athletes, showcase of athleticism, dedication, and sportsmanship,” remarked the athletics body.

Neeraj Chopra sends best wishes to the Indian contingent at the Asian Athletics Championships 2023

The Olympic gold medalist in javelin throw, Neeraj Chopra, who decided to take a rest from the continental in his bid to get ready for the World Athletics Championships 2023 next month, has sent his best wishes to Team India for the Asian Athletics Championships.

His tweet read, “My best wishes to the #TeamIndia contingent for the Asian Athletics Championships. I am sure that we will have a successful campaign. Jai Hind!”