The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) on June 16 named a 37-member Indian athletics team, to be led by Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, for the upcoming Commonwealth Games, with the selection committee picking the athletes on expected lines with no major surprises.
The AFI selection committee chose 37 athletes, 18 of whom are women, including star sprinters Hima Das and Dutee Chand, who qualified through the women’s 4x100m relay team. The selectors also named a men’s 4x400m relay team.
AFI president Adille Sumariwalla stated that the selected athletes, with the exception of those who have been asked to prove form and fitness and are competing abroad, will train in Chula Vista, California, ahead of the July 28 to August 8 CWG, and their visas are being processed.
The India team also has the likes of Avinash Sable, who broke his own 3000m steeplechase national record for the eighth time recently, as well as Jyothi Yarraji, who broke her own 100m hurdles NR twice last month. Aishwarya Babu, who smashed her own triple jump national record with a stunning 14.14m effort during the recent National Inter-State Championships in Chennai, 200m national record holder Amlan Borgohain, who won a sprint double (100m and 200m) during the National Inter-State, missed the bus as he could not reach the CWG qualifying standard set by the AFI.
Some of the athletes have to prove their form and fitness
Although selected, some of the athletes will have to prove their form and fitness before the Birmingham Games. Veteran discus thrower Seema Punia has been given a chance to feature in her fifth CWG considering her past performances in the Games. Her participation, however, is subject to reaching the qualifying standard set by the AFI in a competition in USA. she has won a medal in each of the four CWG she has taken part earlier.
“We are requesting the Indian Olympic Association to increase our quota by one and to assist in securing accreditation for a couple of athletes,” Sumariwalla said.
The AFI has been given a quota of 36 in India’s contingent for the CWG.
Shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor will have to perform well in Kazakhstan while Amoj Jacob has been selected in the men’s 4x400m relay team subject to his recovery and fitness level.
Race walker Bhawna Jat have to prove her fitness
“Similarly, discus throwers Navjeet Kaur Dhillon and Seema Antil Punia as well as hammer thrower Sarita Singh will have to perform in Kazakhstan or California. Race walker Bhawna Jat will have to prove her fitness,” the AFI president said.
M V Jilna of Kerala and N S Simi were both named to the women’s 4x100m relay team. Jilna was a member of India’s ‘B’ team that finished third in the National Inter-State. She had finished second in 100m in the Federation Cup with a time of 11.63s while clocking 11.90s in the semifinal heats in the National Inter-State. Karnataka’s Simi, who had finished sixth in the 100m final with a timing of 11.88s, was also named in the team.
Lalit Bhanot, chairman of the AFI Planning Commission, stated that there was no deviation from the policy of not selecting non-campers for relay teams.
In order to ensure that nobody hides from various tests, they take permission from AFI and they gave details where they were training.
The Team:
Men: Avinash Sable (3000m Steeplechase); Nitender Rawat (Marathon); M Sreeshankar and Muhammed Anees Yahiya (Long Jump); Abdulla Aboobacker, Praveen Chithravel and Eldhose Paul (Triple Jump); Tajinderpal Singh Toor (Shot Put); Neeraj Chopra, DP Manu and Rohit Yadav (Javelin Throw); Sandeep Kumar and Amit Khatri (Race Walking); Amoj Jacob, Noah Nirmal Tom, Arokia Rajiv, Muhammed Ajmal, Naganathan Pandi and Rajesh Ramesh (4x400m Relay).
Women: S Dhanalakshmi (100m and 4x100m relay); Jyothi Yarraji (100mHurdles); Aishwarya B (Long Jump and Triple Jump) and Ancy Sojan (Long Jump); Manpreet Kaur (Shot Put); Navjeet Kaur Dhilllon and Seema Antil Punia (Discus Throw); Annu Rani and Shilpa Rani (Javelin Throw); Manju Bala Singh and Sarita Romit Singh (Hammer Throw); Bhawna Jat and Priyanka Goswami (Race Walking); Hima Das, Dutee Chand, Srabani Nanda, MV Jilna and NS Simi (4x100m relay).
