Four athletes are in Patiala in Wednesday’s women’s 4x400m relay trials for next week’s Asian championship in China, according to a senior coach there. The Athletics Federation of India’s (AFI) decision to conduct last-minute trials for all its four relay teams will surprise many, but it is not to select the relay squad, clarified C.K. Valson, the association secretary.
“This is not a trial to select the runners, because we have already sent the entries for the Asian championship. We have entered the first six from the recent Federation Cup (in Mangaluru) in all the relay events,” said the AFI secretary on Tuesday. “They will have to qualify. If the timing is very poor, we may not take the relay teams for the Asian championship.”
The women’s 4x400m team, which won the Asian Games gold in Incheon last year, is a top contender for the title at the Asian championship which begins in Wuhan on June 3. “M.R. Poovamma, Anu Raghavan, Debashree Majumder and Anju Thomas are already here for the trials,” said a senior coach from Patiala.
However, Tintu Luka, who played a big role in India’s Asian Games gold, and the recent Youth Asian silver medallist Jisna Mathew have decided to skip the trials to avoid the long journey, with the Asian meet just a few days away. Both Tintu and Jisna figure in the team for Wuhan.
Kerala’s Anilda Thomas, the National Games champion and the country’s fastest one-lap runner this season, has not been included in the team as she did not compete in the Federation Cup, the qualification meet for the Asian championship, after her college exams.
“Anilda is not in the team at all, so she cannot come for the trials,” said Valson.
The men’s and women’s 4x400m relay trials will be held in Patiala, while Bengaluru will be the venue for the 4x100m. The AFI had fixed Thiruvananthapuram as the venue for the women’s 4x400m side, but had changed it to Patiala later. The trials for the women’s javelin throw and pole vault events will be in New Delhi.
The National Anti-Doping Agency is likely to conduct dope tests at all the three venues prior to the team’s departure to China.
