Indian athletics heads into the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games with a strong Reliance Foundation Sports contingent of 24 athletes, bringing together sprinters, jumpers, throwers, hurdlers, endurance athletes and a decathlete. More than a list of names, the squad represents a season of remarkable milestones, with several athletes arriving in Japan having already rewritten national records or reached new heights in their careers.

Few stories capture the rise of Indian sprinting better than Animesh Kujur and Gurindervir Singh. The two sprinters have pushed each other to new levels throughout the season. At the 2026 Federation Cup in Ranchi, Gurindervir clocked 10.09 seconds, becoming the first Indian man to break the 10.10-second barrier. Animesh, meanwhile, continues to hold the national record in the 200m and will compete in the 100m, 200m and mixed 4x100m relay in Aichi-Nagoya.

Ancy Sojan brings another record-breaking story to the squad. She leapt 6.88m at the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships to break Anju Bobby George's 22-year-old national record of 6.83m in women's long jump. The performance established a new benchmark for Indian women's long jump and gave Ancy a major milestone ahead of her Asian Games debut.

For Tejaswin Shankar, the Asian Games mark another chapter in a remarkable transformation. Having moved from high jump to the demanding decathlon, Tejaswin has continued to redefine his limits. His national decathlon record now stands at 8,057 points, making him the first Indian to cross the 8,000-point barrier. He will now look to translate that breakthrough into another major international performance.

Sreeshankar brings another compelling comeback story. The long jumper returned to elite competition after a serious knee injury that kept him out of action for an extended period and forced him to miss the Paris Olympics. His journey back to the top has already produced major results, including a Commonwealth Games silver medal, and Aichi-Nagoya offers another opportunity to compete on a major international stage.

Jyothi Yarraji returns to the Asian Games with unfinished business. The Hangzhou silver medallist made a stunning comeback after a year-long ACL injury layoff at the National Inter-State Championships. She clocked a winning time of 12.99 seconds in the final. After battling through surgery, rehabilitation and a lengthy absence from competition, the national record holder now gets another opportunity to challenge for the Asian Games podium after winning silver in the previous edition. 

Around these headline names is a talented group ready to make its own mark. Aadarsh Ram will compete in high jump, Abinaya Rajarajan in the 4x100m relay, Anu Raghavan in the 400m hurdles, Anushka Yadav in hammer throw and Baranica Elangovan in pole vault. Damneet Singh will contest hammer throw, while Karthik Unnikrishnan takes on triple jump and Kartik Karkera and Sawan Barwal compete in the marathon.

The sprint and middle-distance challenge is further strengthened by Mohd Afsal in the 800m, Mohd Ashfaq in the 4x400m relay and Pranav Gurav in the mixed 4x100m relay. Harita Bhadra and Unnathi Ayyappa will also compete in the 200m and mixed relay.

Completing the contingent are Krishna Jayasankar in shot put, Manju Rani in marathon race walk, Seema in the 5000m and 10,000m and Yashas Palaksha in the 400m hurdles.

With records broken, barriers crossed and comebacks completed, the 24-strong Reliance Foundation Sports athletics contingent arrives in Aichi-Nagoya with momentum behind it. Now, the biggest stage of the season awaits.