Annu Rani Shines at Indian Open 2025, Sreeshankar Claims Long Jump Victory

In an impressive showcase at the Indian Open 2025 World Athletics Bronze Level Continental Tour held at Bhubaneswar's Kalinga Stadium, Olympian Annu Rani triumphed in the women's javelin throw event. With a stellar throw of 62.01 meters, Rani outdistanced Sri Lanka's N.D.L. Hatarabag Leka, who posted a 56.27m effort, and Deepika, with a throw of 54.20 meters. This victory comes after Annu's recent breakthrough in Poland, where she registered her first 60m-plus throw in over a year.

On the men's side, Sri Lankan athlete Rumesh Pathirage dominated the javelin throw, achieving a remarkable 86.50 meters and surpassing the World Championships qualifying mark. In the men's long jump, Murali Sreeshankar continued his comeback streak by clinching the title with a jump of 8.13 meters, his fourth consecutive win since recovering from an injury.

Completing the podiums, India's Shivam Lohakare secured second place in the men's javelin with a throw of 80.73 meters, while Shahnavaz Khan pushed Sreeshankar hard in the long jump with an 8.04-meter leap. Other highlights included Muhammad Azeem bin Mohd Fahmi's win in the men's 100m and Abinaya Rajarajan's victory in the women's 100m.

(With inputs from agencies.)