Sprint aces Gurindervir Singh and Animesh Kujur, hurdler Jyothi Yarraji and shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor will lead the home challenge at the World Athletics Silver Level Continental Tour 2026 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on Saturday.
A total of 198 athletes from 23 countries, including 12 Asian nations will compete at the one-day athletics event. The competition will feature 18 events, with nine each in the men’s and women’s categories.
World Athletics Silver Level Continental Tour 2026 events
Men: 100m, 400m, 800m, 5000m, 110m hurdles, high jump, long jump, shot put and javelin throw
Women: 100m, 400m, 1500m, 5000m, 100m hurdles, high jump, long jump, discus throw and javelin throw
Live streaming of the inaugural World Athletics Silver Level Continental Tour will be available in India.
After underwhelming performances at the Commonwealth Games last month, sprinters Animesh Kujur and national record holder Gurindervir Singh will be looking to bounce back in the 100m.
They will face a strong international challenge, with Japan’s Yuki Koike, a former Asian Games champion in the 200m, also set to compete.
Asian Games silver medallist Jyothi Yarraji will feature in the 100m hurdles. She made a winning return from anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery at the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in June.
Two-time Asian Games champion Tajinderpal Singh Toor will headline the shot put field alongside Samardeep Singh Gill.
They will face competition from Olympian and Commonwealth Games champion Chukwuebuka Enekwechi of Nigeria.
The javelin throw competition will be spearheaded by Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Yashvir Singh, Asian Games silver medallist Kishore Jena and Rohit Yadav.
In the long jump, two-time Commonwealth Games silver medallist Murali Sreeshankar will be joined by Lokesh Sathyanathan and World U20 bronze medal winner Shahnavaz Khan.
The women’s long jump features national record holder Ancy Sojan and Asian Championships medallist Shaili Singh.
Reigning Commonwealth Games champion Samantha Hall will lead the international challenge in women’s discus throw along with India’s Nidhi Rani and Seema Kaliramna.
Meanwhile, Asian champion Pooja Singh will compete in the women’s high jump event.
