India endured a forgettable performance at the World Athletics Relays, with injuries and Did Not Finish (DNF) results derailing their campaign on the second day of the 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 were dashed. Amoj Jacob suffered cramps during the race and was forced to pull out after receiving the baton from first leg runner Dharamveer Chaudhary, resulting in a DNF for the team. Rajesh Ramesh and Vishal TK were to race in the last two stages.

After failing to qualify for the finals on Saturday, India were competing in the second qualification round on Sunday, where the top two teams from each heat were to book their spots for the World Championships. The missed opportunity means India must now rely on the World Athletics Top List route, which is a far more uncertain and longer path to qualification.

Batten Falls Men’s 4×100

The failures continued in the men’s 4×100 meters relay, where a lack of coordination proved costly. Third leg runner Ragul Kumar fell on the track while attempting to hand over the baton to Gurinderveer Singh, due to which he was disqualified. Harsh Santosh Raut and Animesh Kujur raced in the first two legs. Kumar, who seemed to be in discomfort, had to be helped off the track by volunteers.

India’s struggles were further highlighted with the baton exchange in the women’s 4x100m event. The baton fell in the clash between Tamannaah and Nitya Gande, forcing Gande to turn back and take it back after initially leading. The team ultimately finished the race with a time of 53.09 seconds, in what proved to be a chaotic race.

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Amidst the disappointment, there was one small positive for the Indian contingent. The mixed 4x100m relay team of Ragul Kumar, Nithya Gandhe, Animesh Kujur and Sneha SS set a new national record of 41.35 seconds, improving on the previous mark of 42.30 seconds set earlier this year. However, he could only finish sixth in his heat.

The mixed 4x400m relay team also missed out, with Teerthesh P Shetty, Kumari Saloni, Nihal William and Rashdeep Kaur finishing fifth in their heat with a timing of 3:19.40.

India’s campaign had already suffered a setback on Saturday when all five relay teams failed to reach their respective finals, missing out on direct qualification for the 2027 World Championships. Sunday’s events added to the disappointment, as injuries and errors led to a disappointing end to their campaign.

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