India suffered a forgettable outing at the World Athletics Relays, with injuries and non-finishes (DNFs) derailing their campaign on the second day of competition on Sunday.
The biggest blow came in the men’s 4x400m relay, where India’s hopes of securing direct qualification for the 2027 World Championships in Beijing collapsed. Amoj Jacob suffered from cramps during the race and was forced to pull out after receiving the baton from first runner Dharamveer Choudhary, resulting in a DNF for the team. Rajesh Ramesh and Vishal TK were to run the last two stages.
India, who did not qualify for the finals on Saturday, competed in the second qualifying round on Sunday where the top two teams from each heat were expected to seal their places at the World Cup. The missed opportunity means India now have to rely on the World Athletics Top Lists route, a much more uncertain and longer route to qualification.
BOLE FALLS IN THE MEN’S 4×100
The setbacks continued in the men’s 4x100m relay, where a lack of coordination proved costly. Third runner Ragul Kumar fell on the track while trying to pass the baton to Gurindervir Singh, resulting in a disqualification. Harsh Santosh Raut and Animesh Kujur ran the opening two matches. Kumar, who appeared to be in discomfort, had to be helped off the track by volunteers.
Indian Men’s 4x100m Team Drops Baton at 2026 World Relays!
The Indian men’s 4x100m team dropped the baton during the final exchange between Ragul and Gurindervir.
This marks the second relay drop on Day 2 and third overall for India at the World Relays.
Running order: pic.twitter.com/W7ZxOkZbxS— nnis Sports (@nnis_sports) May 3, 2026
India’s baton-changing struggles were further highlighted in the women’s 4x100m event. An awkward exchange between Tamanna and Nithya Gandhe saw the baton fall, forcing Gandhe to turn back to retrieve it after initially sprinting forward. The team eventually finished with a time of 53.09 seconds in what turned out to be a messy run.
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Amidst the disappointment, there was a minor positive for the Indian contingent. The 4x100m mixed relay team of Ragul Kumar, Nithya Gandhe, Animesh Kujur and Sneha SS set a new national record of 41.35 seconds, bettering the previous mark of 42.30 seconds earlier this year. However, they could only finish sixth in their heat.
The 4x400m medley relay also fell short, with Theerthesh P Shetty, Kumari Saloni, Nihal William and Rashdeep Kaur finishing fifth in their heat in 3:19.40.
India’s campaign had already taken a hit on Saturday when all five relay teams failed to reach their finals, missing out on direct qualification for the 2027 World Cup. Sunday’s events only compounded the disappointment as injuries and mistakes brought a crushing end to their campaign.
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Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
04 May 2026 0:32 IST
