Chandigarh: In a defining day for Indian athletics, the country’s relay squads delivered crucial performances at the 3rd National Open Relay Competition 2026, inching closer to qualification for the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone, Botswana (May 2–3, 2026). The meet — also known as the International Invitation Relay Competition — served as a final qualifying opportunity before the World Athletics ranking window closes on April 5, 2026.
Men’s 4x400m Relay Makes Crucial Leap
India’s men’s 4×400m relay team clocked a strong 3:01.43, a performance that propelled them up 11 places in the “Road to Gaborone” rankings, placing them comfortably inside the top-24 qualification zone for the World Relays. The quartet of Manu TS, Amoj Jacob, Dharamveer Chaudhary and Rajesh Ramesh anchored the effort, improving India’s chances of competing against the world’s best this May.
This result also reflects India’s recent progress — their men’s unit had been ranked outside qualification earlier with times around 3:03-plus and needed a sub-3:02 showing for a meaningful jump.
Mixed 4x100m Sets National Record, Joins Top-24
In an increasingly competitive field, the Indian mixed 4×100m relay team entered the global top-24 rankings with an official national record of 42.30 seconds. The quartet of Lalu Prasad Bhoi, Unnathi Bollanda, Dondapati Jayaram and Harita Bhadra eclipsed India’s previous best and secured a much-needed ranking boost for World Relays qualification.
Mixed relays are gaining prominence on the global stage, with the top-24 ranked squads earning the right to compete in Botswana across both the 4×100m and 4×400m mixed events.
Women’s and Other Relay Outcomes
India’s women’s 4×100m and the mixed 4×400m relay teams were already positioned inside the top-24 and maintained competitive form in Chandigarh, bolstering their qualification hopes. However, the women’s 4×400m relay quartet — featuring Vithya Ramraj, Poovamma Raju, Rashdeep Kaur and Vijayakumari — clocked 3:32.81, which left them outside the cut-off this time around despite some improvement.
The men’s 4×100m team suffered a setback with disqualification in heat action, likely placing them out of contention for a top-24 spot.
With the qualification period concluding on April 5, India’s relay teams will now monitor global rankings closely before World Athletics finalises entries. A successful qualification would give India’s sprinters a coveted platform in Gaborone to compete for finals and set the stage for the Paris–Budapest athletics season later this year.
Note: World Athletics Relays serve as qualification for future global championships, with top teams in each relay event securing places toward competitions like the Olympic Games and World Championships.
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