LUCKNOW, Sept. 1 -- Rupal Chaudhary will begin afresh when she lines up at the 15th leg of the National Championships in her hometown, Meerut, on Wednesday. The 400m runner, who shone at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships with three medals, including silver in the 400m, has been out of competition since 2025 due to knee injury.

The 22-year-old has been training at the NCOE in Thiruvananthapuram. Her performance on the newly-laid tracks at the Kailash Prakash Stadium could determine whether she gets an opportunity to compete at the Indian Series Final.

The Meerut meet is expected to serve as the first real test on her comeback trail. Rupal and her support team are treating it as the start of a larger rebuild. The immediate goal is to...