Tokyo [Japan], April 17 : Indian canoeists and kayakers will be aiming to secure quotas in six different events during the Asian Canoe Sprint Olympic Qualifier, which will also be the Asian Canoe Sprint Championships, scheduled to start on Thursday onwards.
The event, concluding on April 21, will feature 13 Indian athletes. 10 of them will be playing for Olympic quotas. The remaining three athletes will be playing only for medals as they would be involved in non-Olympic categories, as per Olympics.com.
Asian Games bronze medalists Arjun Singh and Sunil Singh Salam will be spearheading India's charge for the medals and Olympic quotas.
Other quota aspirants in the Indian contingent include, Varinder Singh (men's K1 1000m), Rimson Mairembam/Harshwardhan Singh Shaktawat (men's K2 500m), Gyaneshwor Singh Philem (men's C1 1000m), Parvathy Geetha/Soniya Devi Phairembam (women's K2 500m) and Neha Devi Leichonbam/Kaveri (women's C2 500m) in various categories.
The top two boats in men's and women's K1 and C1 events and the top boat in men's and women's K2 and C2 events will secure Olympic quotas.
India has never played in a canoe event during the Summer Olympics. However, Kirti Kewat played in the 2014 Youth Olympics in the girls' obstacle slalom and head-to-head events.
Interestingly, canoeing events during the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo were also held at the same venue where these qualifiers will be held, the Sea Forest Waterway.
The biennial continental championship was previously held in 2022, in which India secured a medal. The women's C4 200m team of Namita Chandel, Kaveri Dimar, Anjali Bashishth and Shivani Verma bagged a bronze medal.
Alongside this competition will be held the 2024 Asian Paracanoe Sprint Championships, which will see Indian para-athletes in competition.
-Asian Canoe Sprint Olympic Qualifier 2024: India team
Olympic categories
Men's K1 1000m: Varinder Singh
Men's K2 500m: Rimson Mairembam/Harshwardhan Singh Shaktawat
Men's C1 1000m: Gyaneshwor Singh Philem
Men's C2 500m: Arjun Singh/Sunil Singh Salam
Women's K2 500m: Parvathy Geetha/Soniya Devi Phairembam
Women's C2 500m: Neha Devi Leichonbam/Kaveri
Non-Olympic categories
Men's K1 200m: Naocha Singh Laitonjam
Women's C1 500m: Megha Pradeep
Mixed K2 500m: Prohit Baroi/Parvathy Geetha.