Indian Open Relay contests today
A galaxy of Indian sprinters will be setting the track on fire during the 2nd edition of Indian Open Relay Competitions, at the Sector 7 Sports Complex, on Wednesday. About 300 athletes representing 21 teams, including, national champions and finalists in the recently concluded Federation Cup at Kochi, will be vying for the top race. Manikant Hoblidhar and Gurindervir Singh, the past and present national record holders in 100m, followed by Amlan Borgohain and Animesh Kujur, who held similar credentials in 200m, will be competing in the event.
Representing the Team Reliance, they are eyeing the national record in the 4x100m. The team will face a tough competition from an elite quartet of Amiya Kumar Mallick, Lalu Prasad Bhoi, Aryan Ekka and Dondapati Mrutyam Jayaram from Odisha. Odisha is also fielding a fine set of women sprinters in Srabani Nanda, Bonita Lakra, Pragyan Sahu and Manisha Merel to script a new history.
The Tamil Nadu team includes two junior athletes, Jerome and Sharan. They were part of a young Indian quartet that clocked an impressive 3:08.02 at the Ritzbury Relay Championships in Colombo earlier this month. Team TN is also fielding some of its senior internationals like twin sisters Vithya Ramraj and Nithya Ramraj among women and Tamilarasu in the men’s squad.
Vithya, who equalled PT Usha’s 40-year-old national record in 400m hurdles, is now an integral part of the Indian 4x400m relay teams in major international championships. Tamilarasu has been selected to represent India in next month’s Asian championships in Korea, along with the four Reliance sprinters mentioned above.
The National Centre of Excellence in Patiala and Thiruvananthapuram are fielding separate teams blended with experienced elders and talented youngsters to create some ripples in the competitions. Subha Venkatesan, Kunja Rajitha, Rupal Chaudhary, Kolleri Sneha among women; Tusha Manna, Santhosh Tamilarasan, Rince Joseph, Mohit Kumar, Dharmveer Chaudhary, Manu TS, Vishal TK, Jay Kumar among men are experienced in the field. In contrast, Sudheeksha and Abinaya Rajarajan are the young ones ready to prove their mettle at the right spot.
Many of the above-mentioned athletes are already on the Indian Team for next month’s Asian Championships in Gumi, Korea, and the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China.
The current national relay records: 4 x 100m: Senior Men: 38.89s National Team 2010. Junior Men: 40.01s National U20 Team 2024. Senior Women: 43.37s National ‘Select’ Team 2021. Junior Women: 45.08s National U20 Team 2024. 4 x 400m: Senior Men: 2:59.05 National Team 2023. Junior Men: 3:08.10 National U20 Team 2024. Senior Women: 3:26.89 National Team 2004. Junior Women: 3:34.18 National U20 Team 2022. Mixed 4x400m: Senior: 3:12..87 National Team 2024. Junior: 3:17.76 National U20 Team 2022.
