Commonwealth Games 2026: AFI Announces 32-Member Indian Athletics Squad; Neeraj Chopra, Selva Prabhu Provisionally Included

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has officially announced a 32-member track and field contingent shortlisted for the upcoming Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, scheduled to take place in Scotland from July 23 to August 2, 2026.

The squad comprises 22 men and 10 women, with selection largely determined by performances at the Federation Cup and the Indian Athletics Series in Ludhiana, which served as the designated selection trials.

High-Profile Provisional Standard Entries

India's double Olympic medalist and former Commonwealth Games champion Neeraj Chopra has been provisionally included in the roster. Chopra, who missed the Birmingham 2022 edition due to a groin injury, is recovering from a back injury and requested inclusion as he prepares to return to active competition. To solidify his confirmation on the final flight to Glasgow, Chopra must cross the AFI-mandated CWG qualification standard of 82.61m in upcoming competitive windows.

Similarly, 22-year-old triple jumper Selva Prabhu—fresh off an impressive 16.92m victory at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championship—holds a provisional spot. He will need to replicate a performance crossing the AFI qualification mark of 16.89m at the National Inter-State Championships later this month to secure final team confirmation.

Key Exemptions and Roster Highlights

Several elite Indian athletes who recently demonstrated top form abroad received exemptions from mandatory domestic trials. Long-distance runner Parul Chaudhary was exempted following her sensational performance in France, where she broke the women's 5000m national record. Other exempted stars include distance runner Gulveer Singh, shot putter Manpreet Kaur, race walker Priyanka Goswami, and long jumper Lokesh Sathyanathan.

The squad also marks historical inclusions such as Vishal Thennarasu Kayalvizhi, who became the first Indian man to clock a sub-45-second performance in the 400m sprint. He features prominently in a strong 4x400m mixed relay pool.

Complete Indian Athletics Squad for Glasgow 2026

Men's Contingent

100m: Gurindervir Singh
200m: Animesh Kujur
5000m / 10000m: Gulveer Singh
110m Hurdles: Tejas Shirse
400m Hurdles: Yashas Palaksha, Santhosh Kumar Tamilarasan
High Jump: Sarvesh Kushare, Adarsh Ram
Pole Vault: Dev Meena, Kuldeep Kumar
Long Jump: Murali Sreeshankar, Lokesh Sathyanathan
Triple Jump: Praveen Chithravel, Selva Prabhu*
Shot Put: Samardeep Singh Gill, Tajinderpal Singh Toor
Javelin Throw: Neeraj Chopra*, Rohit Yadav, Yash Vir Singh
Decathlon: Tejaswin Shankar
400m / 4x400m Mixed Relay Pool: Vishal Thennarasu Kayalvizhi, Rajesh Ramesh

Women's Contingent

3000m Steeplechase / 5000m: Parul Chaudhary
High Jump: Pooja Singh
Shot Put: Manpreet Kaur
Discus Throw: Seema, Nidhi Rani
10000m Race Walk: Ravina, Priyanka Goswami
400m / 4x400m Mixed Relay Pool: Ansa Babu, Rashdeep Kaur, Neeru Pathak

*Selection subject to achieving the specified entry qualification standard before the Games.

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