Meet Indian Men’s 4x400m Relay Team Who Made India Proud At World Athletics Championships 2023

The Indian Men’s 4x400m relay team rose to unparalleled heights at the World Athletics Championships 2023, in a moment that will go down in Indian sports history. With unwavering resolve, flawless collaboration, and searing speed, these exceptional athletes not only broke records but also shattered expectations, earning a win that echoed well beyond the stadium’s boundaries. Their spectacular performance bears witness to Indian athletics’ growing strength in the global arena, filling the country with pride and enthusiasm.

While Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian athlete to win a gold medal with a tremendous throw of 88.17 meters in the men’s javelin final, the men’s 4x400m relay team finished fifth.

The men’s relay team of Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Amoj Jacob, Muhammed Ajmal Variyathodi, and Rajesh Ramesh broke the Asian mark with a time of 2:59.05 seconds. Japan owned the previous record of 2:59.51 seconds.

As we honour these sportsmen for their outstanding achievements, we have compiled a list of everything you need to know about them. Let’s look at it, shall we?

1. Muhammed Anas Yahiya

Born on September 17, 1994, in Nilamel, he was trained in the long jump before switching to the 400m when his school team needed a last-minute replacement. Later, he represented Sree Krishna College at the national level.

At the Polish Athletics Championships in 2016, he set a new national 400-meter record of 45.40 seconds. He was also the third Indian athlete to qualify for this event, following Milkha Singh and KM Binu. In 2018, he won two silver medals and one gold medal in the Asian Games. He finished fourth in the 400-meter race at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

2. Amoj Jacob

Born on 2 May 1998, he was a part of the team that bagged a gold medal in the 4 × 400 meters race at the Asian Athletics Championships (2017) – the first at the event since Seoul 1975. At the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, he competed in the race in which the team broke Asian and national records. He won gold in the 400-meter race at the Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships in 2021.

3. Muhammed Ajmal Variyathodi

Born on June 1, 1998, in Palakkad, he entered the sports world by playing football. Later, he moved on to 100 meters and, finally, 400 meters sprinting. In 2022, he emerged as an Indian champion in the 4 × 400-meter relay and the mixed relay. In 2023, he won the gold medal in the 400-meter sprint in 45.51 seconds at the Indian Championships in Bhubaneshwar.

4. Rajesh Ramesh

The team’s youngest member, born in Tamil Nadu in 1999, was working as a ticket checker at the Trichy Railway Station in 2020. In 2018, he finished sixth in the 4 × 400-meter event at the Asian Junior Championships. In April 2022, he won gold at the National Federation Cup at Thenhipalam, Kerala.

He won gold in the 400-meter sprint after finishing fourth in the semi-final round in June 2022. He took silver and bronze in the 36th National Games in October 2022. In Bengaluru, Karnataka, he won gold medals in the 400-meter sprint and the 4 × 400-meter relay race at the National Open Athletics Championships.