Within the golden hour beneath the stadium lights, decathlon nationwide file holder Tejaswin Shankar is warming up. On Friday, he would compete in his first set of occasions on the Federation Cup Athletics in Birsa Munda Stadium, Ranchi, aiming to qualify for the upcoming Commonwealth Video games in Glasgow in July.
However the 27-year-old from Delhi must higher his season’s greatest to fulfill the qualification commonplace set by the Athletics Federation of India. His solely decathlon occasion this season was at David Nobles Mixed Occasions in USA, the place he scored 7947 factors. The AFI-set mark is 7787. He is aware of its relevance. “It’s a essential match for me because the CWG qualification is on the road. I got here to India ten days again and landed right here three days again to acclimatise with the climate,” Tejaswin mentioned in the course of the press convention.
Tejaswin, who can be nationwide file holder in excessive soar, has an opportunity to qualify for each occasions. “I’ll prioritise Decathlon for CWG as I get to do ten occasions collectively,” mentioned Tejaswin.
Federation Cup, one of many important fixtures within the Indian athletics calendar, can be a qualifying occasion for CWG and Asian U23 Athletics Championships. Nevertheless, solely 32 athletes together with 16 males and 16 girls can be allowed to take part in CWG. “If there are greater than 32 athletes, the choice committee must choose and select as organisers have made it clear that each Athletics squad could have solely 32 athletes,” Lalit Bhanot, Chairman of AFI planning fee mentioned.
Commonwealth Video games have a aggressive area in athletics with the presence of Caribbean and African athletes in many of the occasions. Qualifying requirements for occasions like 100m (10.16s), 400m (44.96s) would want athletes to interrupt the nationwide file and for occasions like javelin throw (82.61m) it’s world class.
Hurl fest
Submit Neeraj Chopra’s gold medal in Tokyo, javelin throw has turn into a blue riband occasion in India’s athletics panorama. A prime nationwide occasion normally options not less than 5 throwers which have crossed the 80m mark. The sphere in Ranchi has 2025 World championship finalist Sachin Yadav, 2022 World Championship finalist Rohit Yadav, Asian Video games silver medallist Kishore Kumar Jena amongst others.
The qualification commonplace is ready at 82.61m and one would anticipate that the likes of Sachin and Rohit will e book their berth for CWG as double Olympics Chopra hasn’t began his season but.
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Stacked with high quality
The qualifying mark for lengthy soar is 8.05m and the choice committee can be spoilt for decisions as the sphere options ace jumper Sreeshankar Murali, returning nationwide file holder Jeswin Aldrin, and NCAA indoor champion Lokesh Satyanathan.
Lokesh, who hasn’t competed in any home competitors this 12 months, was given an exception by AFI as he was repeatedly competing on the NCAA circuit and likewise gained the indoor last title there. “Lengthy soar could be very stacked and we are able to see an enormous mark if these athletes have day. It’ll be a tricky race for CWG qualification,” a soar coach mentioned.
Regardless of teenager Shahnavaz Khan, who has one of the best Indian mark of 8.43m, not collaborating as a consequence of his inclusion within the nationwide camp for U20 World Championships, the sphere is stacked sufficient to make the headlines.
Eyes on sprinters
Indian sprinters, who stole the limelight final 12 months as a consequence of a number of nationwide data, will discover it robust to qualify for the 100m sprint as a result of the qualifying mark has been revised to 10.20s, which might require them to breach the nationwide file of 10.18s.
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“I do know it will be robust because the qualification mark for 100m is excessive however my focus is on 200m, which is my pet occasion,” mentioned India’s ace sprinter Animesh Kujur. Animesh wants a timing of lower than 20.61s in 200m to e book his berth.
Former nationwide file holder Gurindervir Singh mentioned the robust qualification mark will act as motivation. “Sure, it’s a robust mark however we’ve gone under 10.20s final 12 months and I feel with the set of athletes competing, we are able to push it additional. Such robust marks act as further motivation,” he advised The Indian Specific.
Other than these occasions, eyes will on Annu Rani (Javelin Throw), Tajinderpal Singh Toor (Shot Put), Vishal TK (400m), Shaili Singh (Lengthy Bounce), Ancy Sojan (Lengthy Bounce) who will try and qualify for the Commonwealth Video games.
Until now, 16 male athletes and three feminine athletes have breached the qualification mark for the Commonwealth Video games with their choice rests with the choice committee.
Day 1 Necessary occasions
Decathlon: 5 occasions
Ladies’s Lengthy Bounce last: 6:00 pm
Ladies’s Discus Throw: 7:00 pm
10000m males’s: 6:25 am
10000m girls’s: 5:40 am
3000m Steeplechase males’s: 8:20 pm
3000m Steeplechase girls’s: 8:10 pm