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Thin field should help Indians get richer

K.P. Mohan

Only a sprinkling of Asian champions and record holders
Indian spotlight should be on Mayookha Johny

BHOPAL: The Beijing Olympics must have been a forgettable experience for Indian athletics. To term the performance of the Indian athletes at the Bird’s Nest as ‘dismal’ would be an understatement.

Still reeling under the ignominy of not even a single athlete crossing the first round in the Olympics, Indian athletes have the opportunity to pick up some easy medals and modest prize money when the one-day Asian All Stars meet is gone through at the Tatia Tope Nagar Stadium here on Thursday.

Stars missing

In a meet that is being revived after four years, there is only a sprinkling of Asian champions and record holders and Asian Games winners and Asian toppers.The prize money on offer, $1,500 for gold, $800 for silver and $500 for bronze, should be good enough for at least the Indians to go all out.The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has entered four athletes in each of the 18 events. In the men’s 5000m, Iranian Mehrabi Omid is the lone competitor from outside India.

Only two Chinese

China has entered only two athletes, triple jumper Li Yanxi and woman discus thrower Song Aimin, and that should give more than an idea about the level of the competition. Luckily for those who look out for class rather than numbers, both the Chinese are top-rung athletes, both being defending Asian Games champions apart from Asian leaders in their events this season.

Li Yanxi, who recorded a personal best 17.30 in the qualification round of the Beijing Games, eventually finishing tenth, towers over the rest in the field here.

Men’s triple jump looks by far the most competitive, however, with Kazakhstan’s Evgeniy Ektov, who had a 17-metre jump this season, also in the fray.

The Indians, especially Renjith Maheswary, will have their task cut out. Renjith hauled himself up to 15.91 in the Kochi National after having managed just 15.77 in the Beijing Games qualification round that gave him the last place in an 18-man field in his group.Amarjeet Singh, in contrast to Renjith, has been in some form in the run-up to the Olympics but failed to qualify narrowly, reaching a best of 16.77 in the Asian Grand Prix in Korat, Thailand. His slump in form, as shown by the 15.80 in Kochi, is thus as much a surprise as that of Renjith’s poor run.

Incidentally, Amarjeet, along with high jumper Hari Sankar Roy, will be competing in his second All Stars meet. Roy had scaled 2.25m in Singapore in 2004 for the National record that still stands.

The Indian spotlight should be on Mayookha Johny in the women’s section. The Kerala athlete who had scored the long jump-triple jump double in Kochi is a tremendous talent from a long-term perspective.

In a long jump field in which there are only two notable contestants, Japan’s Maho Hanaoka (season best 6.32) and Kazakhstan’s Olesya Belyayeva (season best 6.38), it will not be of significance where Mayookha will place but how far she can reach. The 20-year-old Kerala girl had recorded a career-best 6.44 in Kochi.

Another youngster who could gain from exposure at this level would be 19-year-old Tintu Luka. She had finished third in a personal best 2:04.94 in the 800m in Kochi, and, in Usha’s opinion, could improve further. Kazakh Margarita Matsko, who has a 2:03.05 from this season will be the leading runner since Sinimole Paulose is expected to compete only in the 1500m. India’s other top 800m specialist, Sushma Devi should also be a strong contender.

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