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New Delhi, Jan 2: India's javelin throw spearhead Neeraj Chopra and emerging talent Sachin Yadav are the only two Indian athletes included in the Registered Testing Pool (RTP) of the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for the first quarter of 2026.
The RTP is World Athletics' highest tier of anti-doping monitoring, subjecting athletes to stringent, no-advance-notice testing protocols.
While Chopra's presence on the list comes as no surprise-given his stature as a two-time Olympic medallist and global javelin icon-Sachin Yadav's inclusion marks a significant milestone in the 26-year-old's rapidly rising career. Yadav is a new entrant to the RTP following a standout performance at the World Championships last year, where he finished fourth, outperforming
several elite names.
The Asian Championships silver medallist delivered a personal best throw of 86.27 metres, finishing ahead of Chopra, who placed eighth while battling persistent fitness issues. Yadav also outdid reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan, who endured a rare off-day to finish 10th overall at the same event. The performance firmly positioned Yadav as one of the most promising figures in Indian athletics.
Standing over six feet tall and hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Yadav is increasingly viewed as the next big prospect in Indian javelin, a discipline that has been dominated by Chopra for more than half a decade. His inclusion in the RTP is a strong indicator of global recognition and heightened scrutiny that typically accompanies athletes operating at the top international level.
The Registered Testing Pool represents the most rigorous anti-doping category. Athletes included in the RTP must provide detailed whereabouts information, including their residential address, and designate a daily 60-minute window during which they are available for testing anywhere in the world. Failure to comply can result in whereabouts failures, which carry serious disciplinary consequences.
The newly released RTP list for the first quarter of the year is dominated by athletes from Ethiopia, Kenya and the United States, reflecting their strong presence in global athletics. Notably, several Indian athletes who featured in the previous RTP-such as Kishore Jena, Avinash Sable, Annu Rani, Murali Sreeshankar, and Jeswin Aldrin-do not find a place in the latest list.
For India, the narrowed representation underlines the elite status Chopra continues to enjoy, while also highlighting Sachin Yadav's arrival among world athletics' closely monitored performers. As the new season unfolds, all eyes will be on whether Yadav can build on his breakthrough year and whether Chopra can return to peak fitness ahead of major global competitions.
