The Athletics Federation of India (AFI), on Friday, requested the Sports Authority of India (SAI) to include V. Praveen Muthukumar in the men’s 4x100m team after the latter replaced Muthukumar with Manikanda Arumugam who was made to run in the trials in Bengaluru on Wednesday despite not being part of the original six-member team.
It is learnt that the SAI informed the AFI about its decision to clear a 4x100m team, consisting of Jyoti Shankar Debnath, Krishnakumar Rane, Amiya Kumar Mallick, Dharambir Singh, Abdul Najeeb Qureshi and Arumugam, for the Asian athletics championship to be held in Wuhan, China, from June 3 to 7.
The AFI, in its response, requested the SAI to include Muthukumar, who originally figured in the six-member side as a reserve, and consider sending a seven-man team. “Muthukumar has been in good form, and did well in the Federations Cup earlier this month. So we have requested the SAI to include him in the squad,” said an AFI official.
At the Bengaluru trials, coach Dimitry Vanyaikin had picked Arumugam for the final leg after Dharambir Singh, the quickest of the lot, joined the camp late, and there were doubts with regard to the baton-exchange exercise.
The relay team clocked 39.11s to finish within the qualifying time of 39.18 set by the AFI, but there was a lot of confusion regarding the fourth runner as some officials insisted that Muthukumar ran the race before being confronted by mediapersons with photo proof.
