The Indian Triathlon Federation Mini Orange National & Age-Group Triathlon Championship in Pune drew a record 449 athletes, highlighting growing participation in the sport. The championship, held from August 14 to 16, 2026, saw competitors race across categories such as ParaTRI, KidsTRI, Sub-Junior, Junior, Under-23, Senior and Age-Group at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi, Pune.
Women accounted for 24.5% of the total entries, while nearly one in three participants came from the Junior, Sub-Junior or KidsTRI brackets. This pattern shows a widening base of young athletes entering the sport and developing through the national competition structure.
The event also recorded a strong ParaTRI field, with 81 athletes competing across Standing/Ambulant, Visually Impaired and Wheelchair categories. Shashruti Vinayak Nakade of Maharashtra was among the standout performers, winning the women’s PTS4_5 title.
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Expanding Geographical Reach
Athletes from established triathlon centers, including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Manipur and SSC, lined up alongside participants from many other states. This mix highlights the expanding geographical reach of the sport and the growing competitiveness of the national triathlon circuit.
The Senior category recorded 62 entries, with the top three finishers earning selection for the Asian Triathlon Championship in Jordan in November 2026. KP Yajat of Karnataka and Keerthi Sakthivel of Tamil Nadu emerged as the men’s and women’s champions, respectively. Adarsh MS of SSC and Sarungbam Athouba Meitei of Manipur completed the men’s podium in second and third place.
Grassroots Participation
The Under-23 category recorded 62 entries, while ParaTRI Standing/Ambulant saw 61 athletes compete, reflecting the depth emerging across developmental and para-sport pathways. The KidsTRI Under-14 category saw particularly encouraging participation, with an almost equal split between boys and girls, indicating growing interest among young girls in triathlon.
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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.
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 provided 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.
