World Athletics Championships 2023: Despite not securing a medal at the Commonwealth Games, failing to reach the final in the previous year’s World Championship, and missing out on gold in the recent Asian Championship, the Indian 4x400m relay team defied expectations on a significant global platform in Budapest. The team reached the first ever finals by breaking Asian records. Although they couldn’t win the medal and secured the fifth position in World Championships 2023, their struggle and dedication to this point serves as an inspiration to everyone.
Who are the India’s 4×400 Relay Race athletes?
Among the relay team members, Rajesh Ramesh, hailing from Tamil Nadu, is the youngest at 23 years old, while Anas, from Kerala, is the oldest at 28. Despite his age, Anas, an accomplished Asian Games silver medalist in the 400 meters, faced a period of challenges marked by a dip in form and various injuries that led to doubts about his career.
Ramesh’s journey too has been one of ups and downs. He first participated in the 2018 U20 World Championship but subsequently experienced a decline in performance. His career was hindered by injuries, along with his full-time job as a ticket collector at the Trichy railway station, and the setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which nearly brought his career to an end. Undeterred by challenges, the 24-year-old athlete showed his determination. During the recent Federation Cup in Ranchi, Ramesh not only exhibited remarkable skill but also emerged as the leader in the 400m semifinals, achieving a timing of 46.13 seconds. This performance surpassed the Asian Championships qualification mark of 46.17 seconds set by the Athletics Federation of India.
Since the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Amoj Jacob, aged 25, who hails from Kerala but was brought up in Delhi, has grappled with injuries. At a certain point, he even considered leaving the sport altogether due to these challenges. However, he didn’t look back and continued in the sport, ultimately, drawing glory to the country.
Meanwhile, Muhammed Ajmal, also 25 years old and originally from Palakkad in Kerala, has an interesting background as a former footballer who transitioned to becoming a 100m sprinter just two years ago. Despite this relatively recent switch, he has aspirations of clinching a significant medal through his participation in relay events.
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