By NE NOW NEWS
Guwahati: Manipur’s rising middle-distance runner Huidrom Bhumeswori has been selected to represent India at the upcoming Asian Under 23 Athletics Championship, scheduled to take place in Ordos, China, from July 9 to 12, 2026.
The 54 member Indian athletics squad will see Bhumeswori compete in both the women’s 800m and 1500m events, marking an important step in her steadily progressing international career.
Bhumeswori has earned her place in the national team following a strong run of performances on the domestic circuit. She clinched gold in the 800m at the Indian Grand Prix 2025 and added another top podium finish in the 1500m at the Open Athletics Meet 2025. She also secured a silver medal in the 800m at the 64th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships earlier in the season.
Hailing from Huidrom Awang Leikai in Manipur, she began structured training at the Sports Authority of India’s National Centre of Excellence in Takyel, Imphal, where she trained from 2017 until 2023.
After the athletics programme was discontinued at the Imphal centre, she shifted her base to Bhopal to continue her training and compete at a higher level.
In 2024, her consistent progress earned her a spot in the IOCL Project Shakti initiative, a high-performance programme jointly supported by the Sports Authority of India, the Athletics Federation of India, and Indian Oil Corporation Limited. The programme is aimed at preparing athletes for major international events, including the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
At present, she is training at the SAI National Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru under Italian coach Claudio Pannozzo, further refining her preparation for international competition.
Her selection has been welcomed by officials and members of the athletics community at SAI NERC Takyel, who have extended their congratulations and wished her success in the continental championship.
With her recent form and continued support through elite training systems, Bhumeswori will look to translate her domestic success into a strong showing on the Asian stage in China.