Tokyo [Japan], Indian canoeists and kayakers will aim to secure quotas in six different events during the Asian Canoe Sprint Olympic Qualifiers, which will also be the Asian Canoe Sprint Championships, starting on Thursday. The event, which ends on April 21, will feature 13 Indian athletes. Of these, 10 will play for the Olympic quota. The remaining three athletes will be playing only for medals as they will feature in non-Olympic categories, as per Olympics.com Asian Games bronze medalists Arjun Singh and Sunil Singh will lead India in the hunt for medals and Olympic quotas. Other quota contenders in the Indian contingent include, Varinder Singh (Men's K 1000m), Rimson Mairembam/Harshvardhan Singh Shaktawat (Men's K2 500m), Dnyaneshwar Singh Philam (Men's C1 1000m), Parvati Geeta/Sonia Devi Firemba (Women's K2 500m) and Neha Devi Lechonbam/Kaveri (Women's C2 500m) in different categories.The top two boats in the men's and women's K1 and C1 events and the top boats in the men's and women's K2 and C2 events will secure Olympic quotas. India has never participated in the canoe event during the Summer Olympics. However, Kirti Kewat did compete in the girls hurdles slalom in the head-to-head event at the 2014 Youth Olympics. Interestingly, while the canoeing competitions during the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo were also held at the same venue where these qualifiers will be held, the Sea Forest Waterway Biennial Continental Championships was previously held in 2022, in which India secured a medal. The women's C4 200m team of Namita Chandel, Kaveri Dimar Anjali Bashistha and Shivani Verma won the bronze medal.The 2024 Asian Paracanoe Sprint Championships will also be held along with this competition, in which Indian para-athletes will compete. -Asian Canoe Sprint Olympic Qualifiers 2024: India Tea Olympic Category Men K1 1000m: Varinder Singh Men K2 500m: Rimson Mairembam/Harshvardhan Singh Shaktawa Men C1 1000m: Dnyaneshwar Singh Filley Men C2 500m: Arjun Singh/Sunil Singh Sala Women K2 500m: Parvati Geeta/Sonia Devi Firemba Women's C2 500m: Neha Devi Leichonbam/Kawar Non-Olympic Category Men's K1 200m: Naocha Singh Latonja Women's C1 500m: Megha Pradi Mixed K2 500m: Prohit Baroi/Parvati Geeta.