Athletes eye Asian Games berth

India’s top athletes, barring two given exemptions Neeraj Chopra and Seema Punia, will chase qualifying standards for the Jakarta Asian Games when they take part in the InterState Senior Athletics Championships here.

The four-day meet, starting on Tuesday, has been advanced by three weeks and the venue was shifted from Kolkata to escape its oppressive weather. It was also to meet the entry deadline (by name) of June 30. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) was left red-faced after three late entries were rejected by the 2018 Commonwealth Games organisers.

Weather may still not be ideal for this final qualifying event for the Games. It rained on Monday with more showers expected, but officials feel the athletes won’t find it too hot or humid.

National sprint coach N Ramesh, who trains Dutee Chand, felt humidity won’t affect the sprinters. Top distance runners, including Sudha Singh, were training in cooler Bhutan.

Unlike the 30-member quota for CWG, India can enter 102 athletes in Jakarta. “If sprinters do well, we can field teams in both relays for men and women,” said AFI secretary CK Valson.

The AFI clarified on its original diktat that those not in the national camp won’t be picked for relays. National women’s 400m champion Nirmala Sheoran’s whereabouts were unknown since she took part in the London world athletics last year.

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