Guangzhou, May 11 – India’s campaign at the World Athletics Relays 2025 concluded on a disappointing note as both the men’s and mixed 4x400m relay teams failed to secure qualification for the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo.
Earlier on Saturday, the team had registered a time of 3:16.85, placing fifth in heat three. Given another opportunity on Sunday, they were unable to improve enough to qualify.
On Saturday, they had finished fifth in their heat with a better timing of 3:03.92 but fell short of the top-three cut-off for automatic qualification. They, too, had a second shot on Sunday but were unable to capitalise on it.
India now hopes to secure a place through improved timings in upcoming competitions within this qualifying period.
However, that celebrated quartet did not feature in the current squad, which also missed out on a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics after finishing fourth in the heats.
With the Tokyo World Championships on the horizon, India's relay squads will need to deliver significantly faster times in upcoming meets to keep their qualification hopes alive.
Mixed 4x400m Team Falls Short in Final Opportunity
The mixed 4x400m relay team comprising Santhosh Kumar Tamilarasan, Rupal Chaudhary, Thennarasu Kayalvizhi Vishal, and Subha Venkatesan clocked 3:14.81 to finish fourth in heat number two. Only the top three teams from each of the two heats advanced to the World Championships, scheduled for September 13 to 21 in Tokyo.Earlier on Saturday, the team had registered a time of 3:16.85, placing fifth in heat three. Given another opportunity on Sunday, they were unable to improve enough to qualify.
Men’s 4x400m Relay Team Finishes Seventh
The men’s 4x400m team—featuring Jay Kumar, Dharmveer Choudhary, Thekkinalil Saji Manu, and Rince Joseph—delivered a slower performance compared to their female counterparts, clocking 3:04.49 and finishing seventh.On Saturday, they had finished fifth in their heat with a better timing of 3:03.92 but fell short of the top-three cut-off for automatic qualification. They, too, had a second shot on Sunday but were unable to capitalise on it.
Path Ahead: Eyes on Remaining Qualification Slots
A total of 14 teams from each of the men’s, women’s, and mixed 4x400m relay events qualify for the World Championships. The final two spots in each category will be allocated based on top performance lists within the qualification window, running from February 25, 2024, to August 24, 2025.India now hopes to secure a place through improved timings in upcoming competitions within this qualifying period.
A Contrast to Past Highs
India had made headlines at the 2023 World Championships in Hungary, where the men’s 4x400m team—Muhammed Anas, Amoj Jacob, Rajesh Ramesh, and Muhammed Ajmal—set an Asian record of 2:59.05 while finishing second in their heat and later finishing fifth in the final.However, that celebrated quartet did not feature in the current squad, which also missed out on a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics after finishing fourth in the heats.
With the Tokyo World Championships on the horizon, India's relay squads will need to deliver significantly faster times in upcoming meets to keep their qualification hopes alive.
