Four talented athletes from Tamil Nadu have earned their place in the 43-member Indian contingent for the prestigious World Athletics U20 Championships. The championships, scheduled to be held in Peru from August 27th to 31st, will witness these athletes representing India on the global stage.
The four athletes selected from Tamil Nadu include Abinaya Rajarajan, who will compete in the women’s 100m and the women’s 4x100m relay; Karthik Raja, who will take on the men’s 400m hurdles; Hariharan Kathiravan, who will compete in the men’s 110m hurdles; and Kanista Teena, who will be part of the women’s 4x400m relay team.
Abinaya Rajarajan, a promising 18-year-old from Tirunelveli, has already garnered experience competing in three Asian Championships across different age groups. This World U20 Championships will mark her debut on the world stage. With a personal best of 10.60 seconds in the 100m, Abinaya is focused on improving her performance and aiming for a spot in the finals.
“I missed out on the 100m event at the Asian junior meet in Dubai earlier this year, but I surpassed the qualifying mark for the world junior meet in the trials held in Bengaluru,” Abinaya shared with TOI. “I want to make full use of this opportunity. My goal is to break my personal best and reach the final.”
Abinaya, who has a decorated history with three medals from Asian junior and youth meets, is the sole Indian woman participating in the 100m at the World U20 Championships.
In the 4x100m relay, Abinaya and her team are determined to rectify their previous disqualification due to a baton exchange error at the Asian juniors in Dubai. “We are training hard and making sure we don’t repeat the same mistake,” Abinaya emphasized. “We have a strong team and are clocking times close to 44 seconds in training. We have a good chance of reaching the final and securing a top-six finish.”
Karthik Raja, a talented athlete who transitioned from football to athletics five years ago, will represent India in the men’s 400m hurdles. Having competed in the School Games with the Tamil Nadu U-14 football team, Karthik’s athletic journey took a different turn after his coach recommended switching to athletics. “After not seeing much improvement in football, my coach suggested I try athletics. I am 6 feet tall and thought the hurdles event would suit my physique,” Karthik explained. He achieved qualification for the World U20 Championships by clocking 52.76 seconds in the Indian Grand Prix (IGP) III competition in Bengaluru. “The top athletes will be competing at the global meet, and I will aim to finish under 51 seconds,” Karthik stated confidently.
Tamil Nadu athletes have consistently made their mark in previous World Junior Championships. In 2021, Bharath Sridhar secured a bronze medal in the 4x400m mixed relay event in Kenya, while triple jumper Selva Prabhu brought home a silver medal in Colombia in 2022. With their dedication and strong performances, these four athletes from Tamil Nadu are poised to contribute to India’s success at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Peru.
