Ajai Raj Singh Rana, Shaili Singh to lead Indian challenge at World Athletics U20 meet - watch live streaming

With the Tokyo Olympics done, the Indian athletics community will shift its focus to the World Athletics U20 Championships which starts on Wednesday in Nairobi, Kenya.

India have named 27 athletes for the five-day meet at Kasarani Stadium. Ann Rose Tomy was slated to compete in the 100m hurdles but tested positive for COVID-19 before departure and was thus dropped.

The meet, postponed from July last year due to COVID, was originally scheduled to start on Tuesday but was pushed by a day due to logistical challenges posed by the pandemic.

Javelin thrower Ajai Raj Singh Rana and long jumper Shaili Singh will be the nation’s best hopes at the championships.

So far, India have had Seema Antil (discus throw, 2002), Navjeet Kaur Dhillon (discus throw, 2014), Neeraj Chopra (javelin throw, 2016) and Hima Das (400m, 2018) returning with medals from the World U20 meet.

Ajai Raj Singh Rana, one of India’s upcoming javelin throwers, has had a decent season so far. The 19-year-old has managed a personal best of 74.75 metres at the 19th National Federation Cup Junior (U20) Athletics Championships in Punjab earlier this month.

Ajai Raj Singh Rana’s effort is the third-best among the athletes that will take the field in Nairobi after Ukraine’s Artur Felfner (78.41m) and Poland’s Eryk Kołodziejczak (74.77m).

Meanwhile, 17-year-old long jumper Shaili Singh is a product of the Anju Bobby Sports Foundation and is coached by the famous Robert Bobby George.

In her first season at the senior level, Shaili Singh won the gold medal at the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships at Patiala in July with a jump of 6.48m, a new national junior record.

“She is in that 6.60m range,” Robert Bobby George told the New Indian Express. “Our target is to go beyond the 6.50m mark. We have been training for this. It looks achievable. Shaili, too, is confident.”

Shaili Singh is the fifth-best jumper in the field at the World Athletics U20 World Championships.

Priya H Mohan could also be a contender in Nairobi. She won the gold medal in the 400m at the National Senior Inter-State Athletics Championships last month.

World Athletics U20 Championships schedule for India

Wednesday, August 18

4x400m mixed relay heats - 11:30 AM IST

Men’s hammer throw qualification (Vipin Kumar) - 11:38 AM IST

Men’s shot put qualification (Amandeep Singh Dhaliwal) - 12:17 PM IST

Women’s 400m heats (Priya Mohan, Summy) - 1:45 PM IST

Men’s javelin throw qualification (Jay Kumar, Ajai Raj Singh Rana) - 6:44 PM IST onwards

4x400m mixed relay final - 8:15 PM IST

Thursday, August 19

Men’s 400m hurdles heats (Rohan Gautham, Hardeep Kumar) - 11:55 AM IST

Men’s 800m heats (Anu Kumar) - 12:35 PM IST

Men’s shot put final - 5:50 PM IST

Friday, August 20

Women’s 100m hurdles heats (Nandini Agasara) - 11:45 AM IST

Men’s 110m hurdles heats (Tejas Shirse) - 12:25 PM IST

Women’s 1500m heats (Pooja) - 1:00 PM IST

Women’s long jump qualification (Shaili Singh) - 1:25 PM IST

Men’s 200m heats (Shanmuga Srinivas Nalubothu) - 2:10 PM IST

Men’s javelin throw final - 4:50 PM IST

Men’s 3000m steeplechase heats (Sunil Joliya) - 4:59 PM IST

Women’s 100m hurdles semi-finals - 5:35 PM IST

Men’s 110m hurdles semi-finals - 6:00 PM IST

Men’s 400m semi-finals - 6:30 PM IST

Men’s hammer throw final (Vipin Kumar) - 6:45 PM IST

Women’s 800m semi-finals - 6:50 PM IST

Men’s 200m semi-finals - 7:35 PM IST

Men’s 3000m steeplechase final - 8:35 PM IST

Saturday, August 21

Men’s 10000m race walk (Amit) - 11:45 AM IST

Women’s 10000m race walk (Baljeet Kaur) - 12:50 PM IST

Men's 4x400m relay - 1:52 PM IST

Men’s 4x100m relay - 2:25 PM IST

Men’s 400m hurdles semi-finals - 5:30 PM IST

Men’s 800m semi-finals - 6:00 PM IST

Women’s 100m hurdles final - 6:30 PM IST

Men’s 110m hurdles final - 6:45 PM IST

Women’s 800m final - 7:15 PM IST

Women’s 400m final - 7:30 PM IST

Men's 400m final - 8:30 PM IST

Men’s 200m final - 8:40 PM IST

Sunday, August 22

Men’s triple jump (Donal Makimairaj) - 5:00 PM IST

Men’s 400m Hurdles final - 5:30 PM IST

Men’s 800m final - 6:00 PM IST

Women’s 1500m final - 6:20 PM IST

Women’s long jump final - 6:55 PM IST

Women’s 5000m (Ankita) - 7:40 PM IST

Indian team for World Athletics U20 Championships

Boys: Nalubothu Shanmuga Srinivas (200m), Anu Kumar (800m), Sunil Joliya Jinabhai (3000m steeplechase), Tejas Ashok Shirse (110m hurdles), Hardeep and Rohan Kamble (400m hurdles), Amit (10000m race walk), Amandeep Dhaliwal (shot put), Kunwer Ajai Singh Rana and Jay Kumar (javelin throw), Vipin Kumar (hammer throw), Donald Makimaraj (Triple Jump), Bharth S, Kapil, Abdul Razak, Sumit Chahal and Nagarjunan S (4x400m relay);

Girls: Priya H Mohan and Summy (400m), Pooja (800m and 1500m), Ankita Dhyani (5000m), Agasara (100m hurdles), Shaili Singh (long jump), Baljeet Bajwa (10000m race walk), Priya H Mohan, Summy, Payal Vohra, Deepanshi and Kunja Rajitha (4x400m relay).

Where to watch World Athletics U20 Championships live in India?

Live streaming of the World Athletics U20 Championships will be available on the YouTube Channel and Facebook Page of World Athletics.