12 member Indian squad heads to Brazil for race walk world team championships

India will be represented by a 12 member race walking squad at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships , scheduled to be held in Brasilia, Brazil, on April 12 . The team finally departed for the event on Thursday night after their visas were cleared at the last minute, allowing the athletes to travel in time for the competition.

The Indian contingent will be led by experienced walkers Ram Baboo and Manju Rani , who are expected to spearhead the country's challenge at the prestigious global event. The squad includes several prominent race walkers who have consistently represented India at international competitions.

In the men’s events , Ram Baboo and Sandeep Kumar will compete in the marathon race walk, while Hardeep, Sahil, Servin Sebasthiyan, and Akshdeep Singh will participate in the half marathon race walk.

The women’s team will see Payal, Priyanka Goswami, and Manju Rani competing in the marathon race walk, while Mansi Negi, Munita Prajapati, and Ravina will feature in the half marathon race walk.

This edition of the championships will introduce a revised competition format , replacing the traditional 20km and 35km race walking events with marathon and half marathon race walk events, along with a 10km race walk for the Under 20 category.

Apart from competing for individual honours, athletes will also contribute to their national team standings . In senior races, each country can field up to five athletes , but only the top three finishers from each team will count towards the overall team score. A nation must have at least three athletes finish the race to remain eligible for the team rankings.

With a mix of experience and emerging talent, the Indian team will aim to deliver a strong performance and improve its standing on the global race walking stage at the championships in Brazil.