The Hindu : Sport / Athletics : Tough task ahead of Indians

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Aug 21, 2007
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Sport - Athletics

Tough task ahead of Indians

Special Corrrespondent

ATHLETICS / Seema pulls out

NEW DELHI: A 10-member Indian athletics team left here on Monday for Bangkok en route to Osaka for the World athletics championships beginning in the Japanese city on August 25.

Long jumper Anju George will join the team in Bangkok while discus thrower Vikas Gowda is expected to reach Osaka from the U.S. where he is based. Woman discus thrower Seema Antil pulled out at the last moment citing lack of fitness and form.

Seema was not considered to be in form for selection to the Indian team for last month’s Asian championships, but was surprisingly named for Osaka.

Tough task

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) had been pinning its hopes on the women’s 4x400m relay team, but with the other 14 teams in the fray, according to the provisional entry lists, having better timings for the season than India’s best this year (3:33.39 in Amman) the task of making the final even looks tougher than anticipated. Twelve of the relay teams have clocked better than 3:30.

Also recovering from fever was Anju George. She had jumped 6.51 in Leverkusen, Germany, despite the fever, but had managed to carry on with her training in Bangalore on return.

Anju too has a tough task of figuring in the top six that she is aiming for. With a best of 6.65m this season, she is not among the top contenders.

Eyes on Renjith

All Indian eyes will be on triple jumper Renjith Maheswary, who set a sensational record of 17.04m in Guwahati last June. There are 22 others in the provisional entry lists in Osaka who have crossed 17 metres this season. Renjith should be aiming for a spot in the final.

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