Gold in Pune, Eyes on LA 2028: Shashruti Nakade Leads India’s Para-Triathlon Charge

Pune, August, 18: The Indian Triathlon Federation Mini Orange National & Age-Group Triathlon Championship concluded at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi, Pune, on August 16, bringing together a record 449 athletes from across India to compete across ParaTRI, KidsTRI, Sub-Junior, Junior, Under-23, Senior and Age-Group categories. Held from August 14 to 16, the championship recorded the highest-ever participation for the National Championship, with athletes competing for national honours and an opportunity to progress towards international representation.

The record turnout comes amid growing participation in triathlon among younger athletes, women and para-triathletes. Women accounted for 24.5% of the total entries, while nearly one in three participants was from the Junior, Sub-Junior or KidsTRI categories, pointing to a widening base of young athletes entering the sport and developing through the national competition structure.

The championship also recorded a strong ParaTRI field, with 81 athletes competing across Standing/Ambulant, Visually Impaired and Wheelchair categories. Maharashtra’s Shashruti Vinayak Nakade was among the standout performers, winning the women’s PTS4_5 title. The Under-23 category recorded 62 entries, while ParaTRI Standing/Ambulant recorded 61 athletes, making them among the largest fields at the championship and reflecting the depth emerging across both developmental and para-sport pathways.

Participation from established triathlon centres including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Manipur and SSC further strengthened the competition. Athletes from these regions competed alongside participants from across the country, highlighting the expanding geographical reach of the sport and the growing competitiveness of the national triathlon circuit.

The championship also provided a significant competitive pathway for senior athletes, with the top three finishers in the Senior category aged 18 years and above earning selection for the Asian Triathlon Championship in Jordan in November 2026. The selection opportunity adds an international dimension to the national championship, allowing athletes to progress from domestic competition to the continental stage.

The Senior category saw KP Yajat of Karnataka and Keerthi Sakthivel of Tamil Nadu emerge as the men’s and women’s champions respectively. Adarsh MS of SSCB and Sarungbam Athouba Meitei of Manipur finished second and third in the men’s category, while Dolly Patil and Mansi Mohite of Maharashtra secured second and third place in the women’s event. In the Under-23 category, Maharashtra’s Sanjana Joshi and SSCB’s Dev Ambokar topped the women’s and men’s fields respectively.

At the grassroots level, the KidsTRI Under-14 category recorded particularly encouraging participation, with an almost equal split between boys and girls. The balanced representation reflects growing interest among young girls in triathlon and points towards a more diverse talent pipeline for the sport.

The championship saw strong performances across the junior and grassroots categories. In the Sub-Junior women’s event, Rutuja Jade of Maharashtra finished first, while Nongmaithem Dhananjoy Meitei of Manipur won the Sub-Junior men’s event. In the Junior categories, Thokchom Gautam Singh of Manipur topped the men’s field, while Kanakshree Dharwal of Madhya Pradesh finished first among the women.

In the KidsTRI Under-14 events, Akoijam Langlen Devi of Manipur won the girls’ category, while Hemanshu Nandkishor Narkhede of Maharashtra topped the boys’ field. The championship also highlighted the competitive depth within ParaTRI, with athletes recording strong performances across Wheelchair, Standing/Ambulant and Visually Impaired classifications.

Mr. Harish Prasad, Development Officer, Indian Triathlon Federation, said, “The record participation at this year’s National & Age-Group Triathlon Championship is an important milestone for Indian triathlon. What stands out is not only the overall number of athletes, but the depth of participation across juniors, women, senior athletes and ParaTRI. This indicates that the sport is developing a much broader base across the country. Our focus is to strengthen this pathway further and give athletes the competitive opportunities and exposure they need to progress to the international level.”

The championship is expected to provide further momentum to the development of competitive triathlon in India, with the performances in Pune offering athletes, coaches and the wider triathlon community valuable exposure at the national level. As the sport continues to build its competitive calendar, the focus will remain on creating stronger opportunities for athletes to progress, compete consistently and represent India on international platforms.