The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) is holding out hope for a last-minute qualification in the mixed 4x400m relay event for the upcoming Paris Olympics. In a bid to achieve this ambitious goal, the AFI has invited Sri Lanka and Maldives as international teams to participate in the National Inter-State Championships, which begin on Thursday.
However, achieving the target will be a daunting task for the Indian quartet. They will need to break the national record of 3:14.12, set by Muhammed Ajmal, Jyothika Sri Dandi, Amoj Jacob, and Subha Venkatesan at the Asian Relay Championships in Bangkok last month.
The men’s and women’s 4x400m relay teams secured their Paris tickets at the Bahamas World Relays Championships last month, but the mixed team unfortunately missed out. “We have invited Sri Lanka and Maldives for the mixed 4x400m relay race and we are hoping that our team can run below 3 minutes 11.87 seconds to qualify for the Olympics,” AFI president Adille Sumariwalla stated at the pre-event press conference on Wednesday.
To be considered by World Athletics, at least two international teams must participate in the event. Therefore, Sri Lanka and Maldives were invited. Only 16 teams will compete in the mixed 4x400m relay in Paris, with 14 already securing their spots during the World Relays Championships in Nassau last month. Italy (3:10.69) and Kenya (3:11.88) are the leading contenders for the remaining two slots.
India must achieve a time of at least 3:11.87 before the June 30 deadline to stand a chance of booking their ticket to Paris. “It may look difficult to run 3:11.87 but it’s not so and we can do it if our runners run flat. I am very hopeful of our mixed 4x400m relay team booking Paris berth. If they do so, they will reach the finals in Paris Olympics, you can take this from me. “Personally, I feel that the mixed 4x400m relay will be the next big thing after the men’s 4x400m relay, though many people may not agree with this.”
Moving on to the National Inter-State Championships, Sumariwalla initially mentioned that top shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor had been granted an exemption due to a right ankle injury. However, after consulting with chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair, Sumariwalla clarified that Toor may still participate in the championships. “He is feeling better and so he (Toor) may take part.”
It remains uncertain whether Toor will compete. He is expected to qualify for Paris through the world ranking quota. Toor, who held the Asian record until recently, revealed on Tuesday that he was experiencing slight ankle pain and had been advised by his doctor to refrain from throwing for three to four weeks. Despite this, his name appeared on the revised entry list for the AFI on Wednesday.
“Some race walkers (Akshdeep Singh and Priyanka Goswami, national record-holders in men’s and women’s 20km event) have been rested as they have already qualified for the Olympics,” the AFI chief stated. “Otherwise, nobody has been given exemption, other than Neeraj Chopra,” he added.
Chopra will be absent from the championships as there is only a small gap before the Paris Diamond League on July 7, where he is scheduled to compete. He also participated in the Federation Cup in Bhubaneswar last month, winning a gold medal. Last month, Sumariwalla had emphasized that except for Chopra, all other athletes must participate in the National Inter-State Championships to be considered for selection to the Paris Olympics.
Approximately 20 Indian track and field athletes have already qualified for the Olympics, and the AFI is aiming to increase this number to over 30 by the June 30 deadline. Sumariwalla shared that the AFI is in discussions with World Athletics to host a Continental Tour event in India. Although he didn’t specify a timeframe, he highlighted several key considerations. “We are talking and discussing with World Athletics to have one of the Continental Tour events, if not two, in India. The conversation (with WA) is on. First, we are finalising the venue because it can’t be for just one year. It has to be for a period of time (three to five years). Consistency will have to be there. The facility should be good, the track will have to be a new track, not an eight-year-old one. “Second is the time slot of the event, which fits into our calendar. I don’t want a March event when my athletes are in pre-season. I don’t want an event in October when the season is over.”
World Athletics Continental Tour is an annual series of independent track and field competitions. The Tour serves as the second tier of international one-day meetings, after the Diamond League.
