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Priyanka, Ram Baboo Lead Indian Race Walkers at World Championships

Two-time Olympian Priyanka Goswami and national record holder Ram Baboo will lead a 12-member Indian contingent at the World Race Walking Team Championships in Brasília. The championship features a format change, introducing senior-level half-marathon and marathon race walking distances for the first time. Team scores will be calculated from the finishing positions of the top three athletes from each country. India has a history of success at this event, having won bronze medals in both the men's and women's team events in past editions.

Key Points: Indian Team for World Race Walking Championships 2026

  • 12-member Indian team for Brasília
  • New half-marathon & marathon distances
  • Top 3 finishers count for team score
  • India's past bronze medal successes
2 min read

World Race Walking Team C'ships: Priyanka, Ram Baboo to spearhead Indian challenge

Two-time Olympian Priyanka Goswami and Ram Baboo spearhead India's 12-member squad at the World Race Walking Team Championships in Brazil.

World Race Walking Team C'ships: Priyanka, Ram Baboo to spearhead Indian challenge
"Priyanka holds the national record in the 10km race walk and won a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. - Content"

New Delhi, April 11

Two-time Olympian Priyanka Goswami and male race walker Ram Baboo will lead a 12-member Indian team at the World Race Walking Team Championships 2026, scheduled for Sunday in Brasília, Brazil.

Manju Rani, a national record holder in the marathon walk, joins the contingent alongside Servin Sebastian. The Indian lineup also includes Sahil and Akshdeep Singh, who hold national records in the 10km and 20km race walks, respectively.

Priyanka holds the national record in the 10km race walk and won a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Ram Baboo has also set national records in the 35km race walk and the marathon walk.

Organised by World Athletics, the upcoming championship will be the 31st edition of the event and will feature a format change, with more than 250 athletes from 40 countries competing in the newly standardised senior race walking distances.

The new programme replaces the traditional 20km and 35km events with the half-marathon (21.0975km) and the marathon (42.195 km), both making their senior-level debuts at the World Race Walking Team Championships.

The U20 category will include 10km races, but no Indian athletes are participating in these junior events. In senior competitions, teams are limited to five athletes, but only the top three overall finishers count towards the team score.

To qualify for the team result, a country needs at least three finishers to form a scoring team. The team score is calculated as the total of the finishing positions of these three scoring athletes.

If a team does not have three finishers, the athletes will still be recorded in their individual races, but the team will no longer be eligible for contention.

The Indian men's team, comprising KT Irfan, Surinder Singh, and Babubhai Kesharabhai Panucha, secured a bronze medal in the men's 20km race at the 2012 championships.

In 2022, Olympians Bhawna Jat, Ravina, and Munita Prajapati secured a bronze medal for India in the women's 20km race walk team event.

Indian squad at World Race Walking Team Championships 2026:

Men's marathon race walk: Ram Baboo, Sandeep Kumar

Men's half-marathon race walk: Hardeep, Sahil, Servin Sebastian, Akshdeep Singh

Women's marathon race walk: Payal, Priyanka Goswami, Manju Rani

Women's half-marathon race walk: Mansi Negi, Munita Prajapati, Ravina

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
The format change to half-marathon and marathon distances is interesting. It's a big shift from 20km/35km. Hope our walkers have adapted well in training. Fingers crossed for a strong team finish.
V
Vikram M
Ram Baboo is a powerhouse! National records in 35km AND the marathon walk. He and Priyanka are solid leaders. But we need more depth. Why no Indian athletes in the U20 category? That's worrying for the future pipeline.
P
Priya S
So proud of our race walkers! They work so hard with very little glamour compared to cricket or track events. Manju Rani and Servin Sebastian are also ones to watch. Jai Hind!
R
Rohit P
The team scoring rule is tough – only top 3 count from 5. Means every single finisher's position is crucial. Hope our athletes have the stamina for the new marathon distance in that Brazilian climate. All the best!
M
Michael C
Good to see India has a history of team bronzes in this event (2012 men, 2022 women). That experience should help. Let's aim for a color upgrade this time! Go Team India.

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