A chance for top sprinters to prove their mettle at Indian Grand Prix 5 in Chandigarh

The men’s 100m dash and women’s quarter-mile will be the two main attractions during the Indian Grand Prix 5 meeting scheduled on September 10 and 11 in Chandigarh. The two-day IGP will be conducted in select events and will be the last competition for the elite Indian athletes to test their skills ahead of the Hangzhou Asian Games starting on September 23 in China. The track and field events are set to begin from September 29.

As per the entry list, more than 30 sprinters are participating in the men’s 100m event, including Assam’s 200m specialist and 2023 World University Games medallist, Amlan Borgohain.

Siva Kumar B of Tamil Nadu, winner of the 100m title at National Inter State Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar in June, will also be in the fray.

Odisha’s seasoned sprinter Amiya Kumar Mallick has also confirmed his entry for the Chandigarh competition. Punjab’s Gurindervir Singh and Harjit Singh are two other prominent sprinters who will be in action in the men’s 100m dash.

The leading sprinters will also get a chance to showcase their prowess in the 4x100m relay to cement their place in the national team and board the flight to China for the Asian Games.

The focus will also be on the longer sprint - 400m in the women’s group. The top six in 400m will also get a chance to wear the Indian jersey and represent the nation in the women’s 4x400m relay at the Asian Games. Aishwarya Mishra of Maharashtra, Himanshi Malik of Haryana, and Jisna Mathews of Kerala are among the leading women’s 400m runners who have confirmed their participation in the two-day IGP.

Away from the track, women’s discus throwing arena will also attract attention. Seasoned thrower and Asian Games medallist from Haryana, Seema Punia-Antil has also confirmed her participation in the IGP.

The men’s 1500m will see the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games champion Jinson Johnson in action.

Kerala's 32 years old Olympian made a comeback this year after having spate of injuries in the 2021 and 2022 season. “I’m getting better with each competition this year. I hope to further improve my time in the Indian Grand Prix in Chandigarh,” Johnson said.