Depleted India hope to make a mark

A severely depleted Indian contingent is unlikely to repeat its unprecedented top-of-the-table finish in the last edition but is still expected to win a substantial number of medals when the Asian Athletics Championships begins here on Sunday.

India had finished on top of the table with a record haul of 29 medals (12 gold, 5 silver, 12 bronze) in the 2017 Championships held in Bhubaneswar. Indians also had done impressively well at the Asian Games in Jakarta last year, winning 19 medals in total, including seven gold.

But this time, the 42-member Indian team is not expected to achieve that kind of success with several athletes, including star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, missing from the continental flagship event.

The biggest name in Indian athletics, Neeraj has suffered an elbow sprain during practice in Patiala and he is not defending the title he had won in 2017.

National record holders Dharun Ayyasamy (men’s 400m Hurdles), M Sreeshankar (men’s long jump) and Asian Games 800m gold medallist Manjit Singh are also not in the team due to injuries.

Triple jumper Arpinder Singh, training in the USA, did just 16.34m in the Federation Cup (against qualification standard of 16.50m) and later said he is focusing on the World Championships to be held at the same venue in September-October.

Veteran Sudha Singh, who won a gold in the women’s 3000m steeplechase in 2017, was named in the team despite missing the Federation Cup -- which served as the qualifying event -- as well as the confirmatory trials, but the Sports Ministry has refused to clear her name.

Another athlete who won two golds in 2017, Govindan Lakshmanan (men’s 5000m and 10000m) was not picked as he could not finish on the podium in the Federation Cup.

India’s preparations too have not been top-class, with the likes of Hima Das missing many days of training as she focused on her studies. Hima will be up against the might of Bahrain’s Salwa el Naser in the women’s 400 metres.

The Bahraini has also been entered in the 200 metres, where Dutee Chand is the Indian challenger. Jinson Johnson (1500m), Tajinder Pal Singh Toor (men’s shot put), Sapna Barman (heptathlon) and women’s 4x400m relay team could be considered as gold medal prospects for India. Dutee Chand is also a medal contender in the women’s 100m.

National record holder Muhammed Anas is not expected to win gold but can bag a medal in the men’s 400m.

The Asian Championships is crucial as the gold medallist gets the automatic qualification for the World Championships.

It also offers valuable ranking points, which will be crucial in terms of qualification for World Championships as well as the Olympic Games.

Other Indians in the fray are Annu Rani and Kumari Sharmila in women’s javelin throw final, Parul Chaudhary and Sanjivani Jadhav in women’s 5000m, Avinash Sable and Shankar Lal Swami in men’s 3000m steeplechase and Gavit Murali Kumar and Abhishek Pal in men’s 10000m.

Dahlan re-elected

Meanwhile, Qatar’s Dahlan Al-Hamad was re-elected president of the Asian Athletics Association for another four-year team at its meeting on Saturday.

Former Athletics Federation of India secretary Lalit Bhanot, who was contesting for the post of senior vice-president, lost to Maj Gen Surapong Ariyamongkol of Thailand 25-19.