Chithravel, Aldrin and Toor to headline Indian Open Throws and Jumps

Vijayanagar, Feb 24 (PTI) Praveen Chithravel, Jeswin Aldrin and Tajinderpal Singh Toor will look to put up medal-winning performances in the second edition of the Indian Open Throws and Jumps competition beginning at the Inspire Institute of Sport here from March 1.

With the domestic athletics season having just begun, the Indian Open will be the first major competition where the Asian and Olympic Games prospects will loos test their mettle against each other in a field that has some serious firepower.

A total of 195 athletes will compete across two days, in eight disciplines — shot put, discus throw, hammer throw and javelin (day 1) and long jump, high jump, triple jump and pole vault (Day 2).

The meet will be the first Athletics Federation of India (AFI)-sanctioned senior competition to be held at the IIS.

Representing IIS at the competition will be Chithravel, fresh from his silver medal and national indoor record-breaking triple jump at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships.

Accompanying him in the same discipline will be 2022 Commonwealth Games gold and silver medallists Eldhose Paul and Abdulla Aboobacker respectively, and they too would be eager to get their season up and running.

“I had a good start to the season at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, and this is an opportunity for me to build on that success,” Chithravel said.

Long-jumper Aldrin, who also started his season on a high with a silver medal at the Asian Athletics Championships, will also be in action for his first outdoor competition of 2023.

Jesse Sandesh will be carrying the IIS baton in the men’s high jump competition.

Among women, Abhinaya Shetty will look to put up a strong show yet again, after making it to the top eight at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships with a 1.75m jump.

Abhinaya will be up against her fellow IIS athlete Rubina Yadav, while, Sharvali Parulekar will be in contention in the women’s triple jump.

Further, lighting up the competition will be 2018 Asian Games gold medallist shot putter Toor who, having already clinched gold at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, will be looking to start the domestic season with a medal.

He will be up against his fellow medallist from the same competition, Karanveer Singh.

In the women’s shot put, lead attractions will be Manpreet Kaur and Abha Khatua, who have had fierce competition with each other since 2022.

Lastly, in the women’s pole vault event coming fresh at the back of a silver medal at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, will be Pavithra Venkatesh.