In what comes as a major setback to the prospects of Asian champion and national record holder 100m hurdler Jyothi Yarraji, the Asian Games silver medallist suffered a knee injury during training a few days ago.

“Due to an unfortunate injury to my knee during training a few days back, I had to put a pause on my season. I’m working with my medical team to assess my options and take a decision on the way forward,” Yarraji, a strong contender for India’s ticket to the World Championships in Tokyo who holds the national record of 12.78 seconds, posted on Instagram.

The 25-year-old, who made a comeback this season after suffering an injury following the Paris Olympics, is yet to breach the direct qualification time of 12.73 seconds, but her 12.96-second gold-winning effort in the Asian Championships in May, has placed her in the list of 16 athletes who can qualify for the World Championships through world rankings. Yarraji is now ranked 12th among these contenders, but once she is out of action for the upcoming events, it will get increasingly difficult for her to maintain her spot.

Athletes can qualify for the World Championships either through direct entry by breaching the qualification mark or through world ranking quota. The qualification window is till August 24.

Yarraji had suffered a hip flexor injury during training in Finland after the 2024 Paris Olympics, which adversely affected her training. To reduce her risk of injury, she adjusted her technique this season by shifting from a seven-stride approach to her original eight-stride approach. “Injuries are part of an athlete’s journey and I’m viewing this as just another hurdle I’m going to overcome soon with all your support and blessings. I’ll be back stronger,” said Yarraji, who had won her last title in the Taiwan Athletics Open on June 7.