Commonwealth Games 2026: Neeraj Chopra Leads India’s 32-Member Athletics Squad; National Record Holder Tejas Shirse Earns Call-Up

Neeraj Chopra at Commonwealth Games 2026: The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has announced a 32-member Indian athletics team, including 10 women, for the 2026 Commonwealth Games to be held in Glasgow from July 22 to August 2. The men’s athletics team is spearheaded by the great javelin thrower and two-time Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra, plus fellow team members Animesh Kujur and Gurindervir Singh. Tejas Shirse got the nod for the CWG 2026 team after smashing the national record in the 110-meter hurdles on Saturday with a spectacular timing of 13.27 seconds in the Indian Athletics Series 9.

Commonwealth Games 2026: India’s Men’s Athletics Squad

The Indian men’s athletics contingent includes Gurindervir Singh (100m), Animesh Kujur (200m), Gulveer Singh (5000m and 10,000m), Tejas Ashok Shirse (110m hurdles), Yashas P and Santhosh Kumar Tamilarasan (400m hurdles), Sarvesh Anil Kushare and Aadarsh Ram J (high jump), Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar (pole vault), Sreeshankar M and Lokesh Sathyanathan (long jump), Praveen Chithravel and Selva Prabhu (triple jump), Samardeep Singh Gill and Tajinderpal Singh Toor (shot put), Neeraj Chopra, Rohit Yadav and Yash Vir Singh (javelin throw), Tejaswin Shankar (decathlon and high jump), and Vishal TK and Rajesh Ramesh (400m and 4x400m relay). 

Commonwealth Games 2026: India’s Women’s Athletics Contingent

The women’s athletics squad features Parul Chaudhary, who will compete in the 3000m steeplechase and 5000m events, Pooja in high jump, Manpreet Kaur in shot put, Seema and Nidhi Rani in discus throw, and Ravina and Priyanka in the 10,000m race walk. The team also includes Ansa Babu, Rashdeep Kaur and Neeru Pathak, who have been selected for the 4x400m relay event.

Will Neeraj Chopra play in Asian Games 2026?

Really, Neeraj Chopra is a strong candidate to be India’s representative at the 2026 Asian Games, and as of now, no official statement has indicated that he won’t be part of the country’s lineup for the continental event. Recently, he was included in India’s athletics team for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, which is a clear indication of his being one of the nation’s top medal prospects.

Even so, a fitness issue has arisen about the Olympic and World Champion. Due to a back injury sustained during a training session in Switzerland, Neeraj had to cancel his participation at the Doha Diamond League event which was scheduled for early this month. This injury not only caused a delay in his comeback but also created a bit of uncertainty on his immediate competition schedule.

In fact, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) with Neeraj’s side, have not hinted that the injury is severe enough to threaten his Asian Games appearance, which is the major event planned for later 2026. As things stand, the 28-year-old is still considered the foremost male javelin thrower in India and is anticipated to lead the athletics team’s medal haul at Aichi-Nagoya.

If there is any change in his fitness level nearer the Games, AFI will probably make the final decision after taking into consideration medical evaluations and readiness for competition. At the moment But Neeraj remains a definite part of India’s plans for the Asian Games.

(With Agency Inputs)

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