Athletics GP events called off after fresh directives
nNEWDELHI: The union sports ministry issued a fresh directive on Thursday that no sports activities should be held in India until April 15, extending an earlier order that had banned sports till the end of March.
The announcement dealt a blow to the hopes of track and field athletes who are trying to achieve the qualification mark for the Tokyo Olympics at home as the Indian Grand Prix series— scheduled in Patiala’s national institute of sports complex with the first leg on Friday—was called off. The Federation Cup meet scheduled from April 10-13 in Patiala will also be called off.
The ministry’s two-point directive states: “No exposure to athlete be allowed from outside in the campus where training is underway. No coach, technical/ support staff athlete, etc., presently not in training camp and not staying in the training campus be allowed to interact or mingle with trainee athletes without following quarantine protocols.”
The ministry’s order for all competitions and trials to be cancelled is directed to national sports federations (NSFS), the Indian cricket board (BCCI) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). The NSFS have also been asked to direct affiliated state and district units to not conduct sports.
The last two legs of the grand prix were scheduled for March 25 and 29. All of them were Olympic qualification events and offered vital ranking points. The April 15 deadline will also leave the BCCI in tenterhooks as it had hoped to start a delayed IPL on April 16. Those plans may have to be redrawn now.
Last week, the sports ministry, while directing training centres in the country to be shut, had allowed those preparing for the Olympics to train. The new circular asks athletes preparing for the Olympics at national camps to avoid contact with outsiders.
India’s star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who returned from Turkey earlier this week to beat flight suspensions introduced by the government, is likely to train in isolation for a while due to quarantine directives. “He isn’t training as usual. There is some restriction as he has just come from Turkey. Although he had to undergo medical tests at the airport on his arrival, due to preventive steps in place, he might have to spent some time indoors,” said a national coach familiar with the development.
Shivpal Singh, the other javelin thrower who has qualified for the Olympics with Chopra, will return from his training base in South Africa on Saturday, along with the best woman thrower, Annu Rani. She is yet to qualify and the bar on sports activities could hurt her chances.
The track and field qualification for Tokyo will continue till June, which should allow athletes like middle-distance runner Jinson Johnson—he had targetted the Federation Cup as he was on an injury comeback—and sprinter Dutee Chand and a few others to meet the Tokyo mark. Chand, training in Bhubaneswar, is looking to improve her ranking as the top 51 in 100m will qualify. The 100m qualifying mark is 11.15 secs while her best is 11.22. The marathon runners, hit by key events being cancelled, may not find races before the May 31 deadline.