Nagoya | Star shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor would be gunning for a historic hat-trick of gold while the likes of long jumper Murali Sreeshankar and long distance runner Gulveer Singh aim to better the colour of medal they had won last time when India begins its athletics campaign at the Asian Games on Thursday.

India is one of the athletics powerhouses in Asian Games and the country is expected to preserve that reputation this time also, though without superstar javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who has pulled out due to an injury.

The 75-member Indian athletics team is aiming for 25 to 30 medals. It won 29 medals -- 6 gold, 14 silver, 9 bronze -- last time in Hangzhou, China.

On Thursday, triple jumper Asha Ilango will be first up in a medal event involving an Indian, followed by Seema in 10,000m. In the 4x400m mixed relay, the other medal event on Thursday, India is a contender for a podium finish. Sprinters Animesh Kujur and Gurindervir Singh will also run their 100m heat races.

If Toor wins a gold, for which he is the favourite, he will enter history books as he will become the first Indian track and field athlete to stand on top of podium in three successive Asian Games in a single event.

Legendary thrower Parduman Singh Brar won two shot put gold medals in 1954 ad 1958 Asian Games, and Toor will go past him if he wins on Thursday. Brar, though, has three gold medals in his name, with another in discus throw in 1954 Games.

The most gold and overall medals by an Indian track and field athlete was won by the legendary PT Usha, who has four gold (all in 1986 Seoul) and seven silver in her name.

Sreeshankar won a silver in the last Asian Games and the 27-year-old would be aiming for a gold this time. He has jumped beyond 8m in all the seven competitions he participated this season. He arrived in Japan early before the other team-mates joined him on September 13 at the University of Tsukuba near Tokyo for an acclimatisation camp.

But it will not be easy for him, though he is the season leader among the Asians with 8.38m. He will have to fight with Yuan Chenlong -- second in Asian season list with 8.33m -- of China and Uzbekistan's Anvar Anarov (season best 8.29m). China has also fielded Shi Yuhao, who won a bronze in the 2022 Games.

India is also fielding David Solomon (SB: 8.22m), a last minute addition to the team in place of injured Shahnavaz Khan.

Gulveer has been entered in three events -- 1500m, 5000m and 10,000 -- and he would be looking for at least two medals. He had won a 10,000m bronze in 2022 Asian Games, and holds national records in both 5,000m and 10,000m.

In 5000m, Gulveer (SB: 13:03.93) will have to compete with Ethiopian-born defending champion Birhanu Balew of Bahrain. It will be a tough proposition for Gulveer (second in Asian top list) to beat the Bahrain athlete.

Gulveer will also have his task cut out in the 10,000m race with Japan's Asian leader Mebuki Suzuki (27:20.11) in the fray. The Indian is ranked second in the Asian season list with his 27:24.18 performance in June.

Sable to run in 3000m steeplechase and 5,000m

Spotlight will also be on Avinash Sable as he attempts to defend his 3000m steeplechase gold he had won in last Asian Games, despite running just one race this season. He had a long injury lay-off after undergoing an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery last year. He has also got a last-minute inclusion in 5,000m race, in which he had won a silver in the last edition.

A silver winner at the 2022 Asian Games, long jumper Ancy Sojan would be hoping to upgrade the medal to gold and she is the Asian leader with her 6.88m effort in June.

Despite the absence of Chopra in men's javelin throw, India can still win a medal through Rohit Yadav and Yashvir Singh. Rohit (SB: 87.68m) and Glasgow CWG medallist Yashvir (SB: 85.41m) are currently at third and fourth among Asian season leaders.

The hot favourite to win the gold is Sri Lankan Rumesh Pathirage, who has sent his spear beyond 90m mark thrice this season with 92.62m being his best. Pakistan's Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem is also in fray but he has been struggling with a season best of 81.49m.

National record holder decathlete Tejaswin Shankar will have to be ready for a tough competition against Japan's Yuma Maruyama who leads the Asian season chart with 8321 points in the 10-event discipline. Tejaswin, who had pulled out midway high jump competition at the recent Glasgow Commonwealth Games due a recurring knee problem, has a personal best of 8057 points which he accumulated in May.

Commonwealth Games silver medallist high jumper Sarvesh Kushare is the Asian season leader with his 2.31m effort in June, but he also is carrying a niggle. Moreover, the high jump field in Asian Games will be top class, with multiple Olympic and world medallist Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar in the fray.

Triple jumper Praveen Chithravel and 100m hurdler Jyothi Yarraji have won a bronze and silver respectively in the last edition of the Asian Games but both had dealt with minor injuries recently.

Among other medal contenders are quarter-miler Vishal TK, 3000m steeplechaser Parul Chaudhary, Harita Bhadra (200m) and Pooja Singh (high jump).