Athletics

First Indian woman javelin thrower to reach a World Championships final (2019); Commonwealth Games bronze and Asian Games gold medallist.

National record holder in the 3000m steeplechase.

First Indian to win a global track gold (World U-20 400m, 2018).

Javelin thrower; Asian Games silver medallist at Hangzhou 2022 (held in 2023).

Long jumper; Commonwealth Games silver medallist in 2022 and Asian Games silver medallist at Hangzhou 2022 (held in 2023).

Olympic and World Champion javelin thrower; India's first track-and-field Olympic gold medallist.

Sprinter and hurdler known as the Payyoli Express; finished fourth in the 400m hurdles final at the 1984 Olympics. Elected president of the Indian Olympic Association in December 2022.

Abdul Najeeb Qureshi (born 25 February 1988) is an Indian sprinter from Hyderabad. 30, before it was broken by Amiya Kumar Mallick. On 6 October 2010, Qureshi equalled the national 100 m record while qualifying for the semi-finals during the 2010 Commonwealth Games held at New Delhi, India.

Abdulla Aboobacker (born 17 January 1996) is an Indian triple jumper. He won the gold medal in the men's triple jump at the 2023 Asian Championships and the silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. He has also competed in the men's triple jump at the 2022 Asian Games, where he narrowly missed a medal with a fourth-place finish.

Abha Khatua (born 7 September 1995) is an Indian shot putter. She represented her country at the 2023 Asian Championships where she won silver. 41 m.

Dr. Adille J. Sumariwalla (born 1 January 1958) is an Indian sports administrator, former athlete and entrepreneur, who represented India at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

Nandini Agasara (born 7 August 2003) is an Indian heptathlete. She is the current Asian champion, having won the gold medal at the 2025 Asian Championships. She has also won the bronze medal at the 2022 Asian Games.

Aishwarya Kailash Mishra (born 16 August 1997) is an Indian track and field athlete who specializes in 400 m.

Ajay Kumar Saroj (born 1 May 1997) is an Indian middle-distance runner.

Ajay Raj Singh (born 1 May 1978) is an Indian sprinter. He competed in the men's 4 × 100 metres relay at the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Ajeet Singh Yadav (born 5 September 1993) is an Indian Para athlete from Uttar Pradesh who competes in men's javelin throw, in F-46 category. On 3 September 2024, he won a silver medal in javelin throw F46 category at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris.

Ajit Singh Balla (born 5 November 1931) is an Indian high jumper who won a gold medal in the 1954 Asian Games. He competed in the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games and 1956 Summer Olympics.

Ajmer Singh (1 February 1940 – 26 January 2010) was an Indian sprinter who competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics, was a gold medalist at the 1966 Asian Games, in Bangkok, and later served as Director of Sports, Punjab University, Chandigarh.

Akash Antil (born 1991) is an Indian track and field athlete competing in the discus throw. He won the silver medal at the 2007 South Asian Junior Athletics Championships. He failed a doping test at the 2010 Indian National Games and was banned from competition.

Akshdeep Singh Dhillon (born 22 November 1999) is an Indian athlete who competes in the 20 km race walk event and holds the national record. Akshdeep represented India in the men's 20 km race walk event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Alex Antony is an Indian athlete who represented India at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Amit Khatri, known mononymously as Amit, is an Indian racewalker who competes in the 10,000 m walk. He won the silver medal at the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships held in Nairobi, Kenya.

Amit Kumar Saroha (born 12 January 1985), also known as Amit Kumar Kumar or simply Amit Kumar, is a Paralympian, Asian Para Games medalist and an Arjuna Awardee, competing in the F51 category in Discus throw and Club throw. He is one of India's top Para athletes and the first quadriplegic to represent India at a Paralympic Games (London 2012).

Amiya Kumar Mallick (born 14 November 1992) is an Indian sprinter from Odisha. 26 seconds.

Amlan Borgohain (born 25 April 1998) is an Indian sprinter who specializes in 100 m and 200 m events.

Amoj Jacob (born 2 May 1998) is an Indian sprinter who specializes in 400 m events. Jacob has represented India in the men's 4x400 m event at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics.

Amrit Pal (born 5 June 1939) is an Indian track and field athlete. He competed in the 800 metre dash at the 1962 Asian Games and won the bronze medal. Pal also appeared at the 1964 Summer Olympics running the 4 × 400 metres relay and 400 metres hurdles.

Amritpal Singh (born 6 October 1983 in Sangrur, Punjab) was an Indian track and field athlete from Punjab who specialized in long jump. He held the national record from 2004 to 2013.

Anand Shetty (c. 1961 – 21 May 2013) was an Indian athlete who specialized in sprints. He was a nine-time national champion in the 100 metres and 200 metres events between 1982 and 1989.

Anandan Gunasekaran (born 18 March 1987; Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu) is an Indian track and field para-athletics runner who competes in the men's 100m, 200m and 400m events in the T64 category. He has participated at many international events. In 2018, he represented India at the Asian Para Games 2018 which was held in Jakarta, Indonesia from 6 to 13 October 2018 and won silver in the 400 meters and bronze in the 200 meters.

Ancy Sojan Edappilly (born 1 March 2001) is an Indian long jumper. She won silver medals at the 2022 Asian Games and the 2025 Asian Championships.

Angel Mary Joseph (born 24 September 1953) is a retired Indian track and field athlete. She specialized in 100 metres hurdles, Long Jump, Pentathlon, and once held national records in all the three and high jump and heptathlon. At the 1978 Asian Games in Bangkok, she won silver medals in long jump and pentathlon.

Anil Kumar (born 20 June 1975) is an Indian discus thrower whose personal best of 64.37 metres was set in July 2004 in Szombathely, Hungary. He received the Arjuna Award in 2004.

Sapper Anil Kumar Prakash (born 28 August 1978) is a retired Indian sprinter. 30 s set at the National Circuit Athletic Meet held in New Delhi in 2005 which was broken in 2016. 21 seconds.

Anil Kumar Singh (born 4 March 1985) is an Indian track and field athlete from Haryana who specializes in javelin throw. He is the first Indian athlete to breach the 80-metre barrier in a competition. 72 metre set at the Asian All Stars athletics championships held in Bhopal on 18 September 2008.

Anilda Thomas (born 6 May 1993) is an Indian sprinter who specialises in the 400 metres event. She participated in the 2016 Summer Olympics in the women's 4 × 400 metres relay event. Running with Nirmala Sheoran, M. R. Poovamma and Tintu Lukka, the quartet clocked 3:27.88 at Bangalore in July 2016, finishing with the 12th best time in the world as top 16 relay teams qualified for the Olympics.

Animesh Kujur (born 2 June 2003) is an Indian sprinter. 32s, earning a bronze medal.

Anjali Devi (born 15 September 1998) is an Indian athlete. She competed in the women's 400 metres event at the 2019 World Athletics Championships. She did not advance to compete in the semi-finals.

Anjana Thamke (born 16 November 1997) is an Indian athlete who competes in the 400 metres, 800 metres and 1500 metres event.

Anju Bobby George (born 19 April 1977) is an Indian former long jumper. She made history when she won the bronze medal in long jump at the 2003 World Championships. 0 ft).

Ankit Sharma (born 20 July 1992) is an Indian athlete who competes in the long jump event. 19 metres set in June 2016 at the G. Kosanov Memorial Meet in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Ankita Dhyani (born 5 February 2002) is an Indian middle-distance and long-distance runner. She has represented India at major international competitions, including the 2022 Asian Games and the 2024 Paris Olympics. 92 in August 2025.

Anthony Francis Coutinho (born 25 August 1940) is an Indian former sprinter. He competed in the men's 4 × 100 metres relay at the 1964 Summer Olympics.

Anu Mariam Jose is an Indian athlete. She won a gold medal in the 4 × 400 m relay in the 2013 Asian Athletics Championships.

Anu Raghavan (born 20 April 1993) is an Indian sprinter who competes in the 400 metres and 400 metres hurdles events. 22 seconds. 92.

Anuradha Biswal (born 28 March 1975) is an Indian former track and field athlete from Odisha who specialized in 100 metre hurdles. 38 seconds for 100 m hurdles, set on 26 August 2002 during the DDA-Raja Bhalendra Singh National Circuit meet held at the Nehru Stadium in Delhi. 40 seconds clocked at the Asian championships in Jakarta on 30 July 2000.

Archana Suseendran (born 9 June 1994) is an Indian athlete who specializes in the sprint. She represented India at the 2019 World Athletics Championships, competing in women's 200 metres. She did not advance to compete in the semi-finals.

Residential academies providing free boarding, lodging, and professional coaching to selected youngsters.

Residential sports hostels providing free boarding, lodging, and scientific training to promising athletes.

Residential academies providing free boarding, lodging, and professional coaching to selected youngsters.

A two-year postgraduate program affiliated with a university to provide advanced research and technical expertise in coaching.

A Sports Authority of India Centre for Para Sports under its National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) Scheme at the SAI Netaji Subhas Western Centre (Regional Centre) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. A Ministry reply in the Rajya Sabha (24 March 2022) says the centre is operational in athletics, swimming, powerlifting and table tennis, and a reply of 6 February 2025 says the centre is actively training para athletes in athletics, swimming and other listed disciplines (the available text of that reply is cut off after swimming). An older SAI circular described a Centre of Excellence (Para) scheme at this centre with a strength of 65 para athletes (40 boys and 25 girls) in athletics, badminton, powerlifting, swimming and table tennis; badminton is not in the Ministry's 2022 list, so check which disciplines are current. A 2025 Press Information Bureau release says para athletes train at SAI centres in Sonepat and Gandhinagar with coaches, nutritionists, diet and recovery support.

On 8 September 2026 the Maharashtra Cabinet approved a revised policy for the 5 per cent parallel reservation for meritorious sportspersons in direct recruitment in state government and semi-government bodies. Sports included in at least three consecutive Summer Olympic Games after 2005 qualify, and Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, Chess, Mallakhamb and Cricket have been added as regional sports. Under the revised policy, sports certificates must be verified through a digital Sports E-Certificate system within three months, and earlier government resolutions on the quota were rescinded.

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), a Government of India enterprise, gives monthly scholarships to economically weaker young sportspersons who have the potential to excel in sport, in games including badminton, boxing, wrestling, kabaddi, chess, athletics and para sports. This is a public-sector company scheme, not a government department scheme. A scholarship is awarded for one year and can be extended up to two years based on annual performance. The number of scholarships is fixed game by game; for the 2025-26 round, for example, badminton had 6 (3 for men and 3 for women) and kabaddi had 20.

NHPC Limited, a Government of India enterprise, offers a sports scholarship to promising young players aged 14 to 19 years (14 to 24 years for para sports) in 16 games, to encourage their talent and build a talent pool during their formative years of education. This is a public-sector company scheme, not a government department scheme. Up to 32 scholarships are provided, two in each game, in two categories, Elite Scholar and Scholar, for a period of three years.