Mystery Surrounds Abha Khatua's Missing Name from Olympic List

Shot putter Abha Khatua's omission from the Indian athletics team's Olympic participants' list has raised eyebrows. Despite qualifying through world rankings, she is currently training in Poland. Indian officials reported they were unaware of any issues, whereas the Indian Olympic Association affirmed her nomination.

Mystery surrounds shot putter Abha Khatua's omission from the Indian athletics team's list of Olympic participants published by World Athletics. Despite her qualification through world rankings and current training in Poland ahead of the Paris Games, her name is notably absent.

Khatua, along with other athletes, left for Spala, Poland, and is expected to reach Paris on July 28. Curiously, World Athletics' list includes only 29 Indian athletes, missing the 30th name entered by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) through the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), excluding Abha.

The likelihood of a technical error is slim, and neither World Athletics officials nor AFI representatives have provided clarity on the issue. An AFI official mentioned they were not aware of any problems concerning Abha, while another stated the matter has been reported to World Athletics. The IOA confirmed the entry of 30 athletes, including two reserves, for the Paris Olympics. Abha remained unresponsive to queries from PTI.

Initially not in contention for the Olympics, Abha made headlines with a national record at the Federation Cup in April, eventually qualifying through world ranking quota. She rose to 21st in world rankings following a gold-winning performance at the National Inter-State Championships, set to compete among thirty-two athletes in the women's shot put event in Paris.

(With inputs from agencies.)