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The Indian contingent for the upcoming World Athletics Championships has been jolted with a setback. Earlier, speculations of the Asian Games champion in 3,000m steeplechase, Avinash Sable’s absence from the event due to an injury came up, now, it is claimed that another Asian champion will miss the upcoming multi-nation event in Tokyo, which is scheduled to take place from September 13 to 21, 2025. According to various reports that the size of the Indian contingent will be around 15 for the World Championships, which is significantly less from the 28 athletes who competed in the previous edition.
In a significant blow for Indian athletics, reigning Asian heptathlon champion Nandini Agasara reportedly announced that she will not compete at the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Reports claim that she confirmed her absence on Sunday, August 24 due to a persistent elbow injury sustained during her gold-medal-winning performance at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea in May. According to the reports, the 22-year-old athlete from Telangana, who secured a provisional berth for the global event, has chosen to prioritize her recovery for future competitions, including the 2026 Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Nandini Agasara sustained an injury to her left elbow during javelin throw
Nandini Agasara etched her name in history books at the 26th Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea, from May 27 to 31, 2025, where she clinched the heptathlon gold with a personal best of 5,941 points. However, her triumph came at a cost. During her second attempt in the javelin throw, one of the seven events in the heptathlon, she sustained an injury to her left elbow. Despite the pain, she completed the competition, running the 800 meters with her elbow strapped. Her victory at the Asian Athletics Championships earned her a provisional berth for the World Athletics Championships under the “area champion” rule.
She is also a national champion and secured a bronze medal at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, edging out compatriot Swapna Barman in a closely contested event. In a reported controversy in the Hangzhou Asian Games, after finishing fourth, Barman alleged that Nandini was ineligible to compete in the women’s event, claiming she was transgender. Barman later apologized, citing emotional distress, but Nandini questioned the ethics of such accusations, particularly against a fellow Indian athlete on foreign soil.
