Shot putter Abha Khatua''s name suspiciously missing in WA''s list of Olympic participants

Shot putter Abha Khatua's name was conspicuously absent from the World Athletics' published list of participants for the upcoming Paris Olympics, despite her recent achievements and qualifications. Currently training in Poland alongside fellow track and field athletes, Khatua left for Spala with high hopes of representing India on the global stage.

Qualified through the world ranking route, Khatua's omission from the list of 30 Indian track and field athletes raised eyebrows, especially after the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) had submitted her name to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). The discrepancy, which surfaced late Friday night, has left officials puzzled, with World Athletics yet to provide clarity on the matter.

While AFI officials remained tight-lipped about the issue, the IOA confirmed the submission of 30 names, including reserves, for the Paris Games. Despite efforts to reach Khatua for comment, she remained unavailable, adding to the intrigue surrounding her exclusion.

Khatua's journey to the Olympics was marked by a remarkable performance at the Federation Cup in Bhubaneswar, where she broke the national record with a throw of 18.41m. Subsequently, her gold-winning throw at the National Inter-State Championships secured her a spot in Paris through the world ranking quota, despite initial challenges in meeting qualification standards.