India, Aug. 23 -- Uttar Pradesh has always been an important part of India's success in athletics world over. India enjoyed their best athletics campaign since the inaugural 1951 Asian Games in 2023 Hangzhou, winning 29 medals - six gold, 14 silver and nine bronze. Uttar Pradesh athletes Kiran Baliyan, Gulveer Singh, Ajay Kumar Saroj, Seema Punia, Parul Chaudhary and Annu Rani all won medals.

This time too, for the September-October Asian Games in Japan, eight athletes from the state across distance running, jumps, throws, sprints and race walk are in the contingent. They represent some of India's in-form medal prospects, national record holders and recent global finalists among them.

Distance runners Gulveer and Parul, javelin throwers...