Chopra, Seema exempted from Asiad qualifer in Guwahati

Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, June 23

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has exempted discus thrower Seema Punia and javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra from the Inter-State Athletics Championship in Guwahati, which means they will be eligible to be picked up for the Asian Games.

AFI had classified the June 26-29 Inter-State meet in Guwahati as a qualifying event for the Asian Games, to be held in Jakarta and Palembang in August-September. However, javelin throwers Chopra and Vipin Kasana, and Seema had decided to skip this tournament. “We have exempted Seema as well as Neeraj from the National Inter-State Championships considering their past record and recent form,” AFI president Adille Sumariwalla said.

Guwahati issues

Athletes and coaches say that the decision to classify the Guwahati Inter-State meet as a qualifying tournament was not wise. “It’s a mistake because the time interval between this meet and the Asian Games is very short,” says a former national coach. “It is not feasible for an athlete to give peak performances in two events (Guwahati tournament and Asian Games) in such a short period.”

“Moreover, the weather in Guwahati would not be suitable for top performances as it is very rainy there these days,” he added. “Rain and moisture have a bad effect on certain events in which gripping something such as a javelin or disc is important.”