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AFI may hold trials before events

Restructured qualification criteria will help assess form, fitness of athletes.

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The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) is planning to restructure the qualification criteria for future Olympics and other major events. Athletes who achieve qualification will not necessarily be assured of participation in the mega events.

The development comes after the federation came under fire earlier this week for asking three athletes — long jumper Mayookha Johny, triple jumper Renjith Maheshwary and marathoner Ram Singh Yadav — to prove their fitness before joining the Olympic contingent in London. The athletes accused the AFI of disturbing their schedule at a vital stage and questioning their worth despite achieving the qualification standards.

The athletes, henceforth, will have to take part in trials a month or two prior to a major event in order to prove their form and fitness. A similar process is followed in all the top nations. Usain Bolt, for instance, matched the ‘A’ qualification mark on more than one occasion but he still had to take part in the Jamaican trials earlier this month. But in India, all athletes who match the qualification mark — either ‘A’ or ‘B’ — set by the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) get to take part in the Olympics.

“They have to take part in that particular tournament, which will be held in India prior to a big tournament even if they have already earned qualification for the event. That way, the selectors can judge them based on their current form and also check their fitness levels,” a federation source told DNA.
“At each Olympics, we have athletes who are a part of the contingent irrespective of the fact that whether they are capable enough to compete at that level or not. We need to set standards henceforth.”

According to the AFI, the three athletes in question haven’t done much to prove their worth. Johny qualified for the Olympics in July last year with a national record effort of 14.11metres. She has been training in Germany since but not much has been heard of her. Maheswary, who is in Italy, too has done precious little in the last few months to assert his claim. The triple-jumper’s last competitive tournament was in May, when he took part at the Asian Grand Prix in Thailand. Yadav has been training at his Ooty base since he qualified for the Games in January.

The AFI was also mulling to drop the athletes who have qualified via the ‘B’ mark for the London Olympics. “However, the selection committee was of the opinion that the London Games would provide them good exposure ahead of the Asian Athletics Championships that will be held in India next year,” the source added.

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