Bhubaneswar: All eyes will be on India’s top javelin thrower Annu Rani and rising sprint star Animesh Kujur as they take centre stage at the inaugural World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meet at Kalinga Stadium on Sunday. The one-day event, offering prize money of $25,000, will witness participation from athletes representing over 15 countries.
Annu Rani, fresh from her season-best throw of 62.59m in Poland, is eyeing an even better performance on home soil. “I’m used to Bhubaneswar’s weather and confident of crossing the 60m mark here,” said the 32-year-old Asian Games champion, currently ranked 30th in the Road to Tokyo standings for the September World Athletics Championships in Japan.
With the August 24 qualification deadline looming, Rani hopes to add crucial distance to her throws. Of the 36 athletes eligible for Worlds, 11 have already met the automatic qualification mark of 64m, while the rest will qualify via world rankings.
Sprinter Animesh Kujur, ranked 42nd globally in the men’s 200m, is banking on home advantage to climb the ladder towards Worlds qualification. His personal best of 20.32 seconds is within striking distance of the 20.16-second automatic cut. “My focus on Sunday is solely the 200m,” Kujur affirmed.
The competition will also see promising names like javelin thrower Sachin Yadav, long jumper Murali Sreeshankar, and Shaili Singh vying for valuable ranking points. Morning heats will precede the evening’s main events.
Odisha’s Sports Commissioner Sachin Jadhav said the state is proud to host the prestigious event and promised continued support for international athletics. Athletics Federation of India president Bahadur Singh Sagoo lauded the platform, noting, “More than 10 athletes have qualified for Worlds so far, and we expect more to make the cut after this meet.”
