The Hindu : Sport / Athletics : Stress on potential to win medals

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 06, 2006
ePaper

Sport

Sport - Athletics

Stress on potential to win medals

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: The Athletics Federation of India Secretary, Lalit Bhanot, said on Sunday that the potential to win medals would be the criterion to select the Indian contingent for the Doha Asian games.

Mr. Bhanot while addressing the media said India would not send a 4 x 100m men's quartet team because the selection committee felt there was no chance of winning a medal in this event. Lack of proper preparation was also cited as a reason with athletes not attending the camp.

On the other hand, he said the Committee felt there was better chance of setting up a good combination in the women's 4 x 100m. He mentioned the names of Chitra Soman, Anju Bobby George and even Pramila who could also be roped in for this exercise. The combination of the quartet would be decided by the end of this month after trials in Delhi.

Mr. Bhanot said the basic idea was to ensure "we do not miss out on athletes who could win medals". Considering the difficult conditions some of the athletes faced in Chennai because of the wet weather and the old track, it was felt that more chances should be given before finalising the names.

"We cannot have a team without K.M. Binu. Our coaches feel he can run sub-45s but recent illness has affected him. He ran here and surely in the days remaining he would prove his fitness. The quartet will revolve around him and he is also our best bet for the 400m flat," he said.

About further trials for V.S. Sureka, the Tamil Nadu girl, who set a new national record in pole vault with a 4.08 jump in Patiala recently, Mr. Bhanot said, "creating a record and having medal potential are different. There are the Chinese, the Malaysians and the Koreans who have scaled higher in this event and we have no chance here", he added.

As for J.J. Shobha making it as the second entrant in women's long jump, he said, `it was bright. She did a 6.25 m in the heptathlon, and just missed 6.40 m. She has a good chance of doing over 6.50 m. We must consider that."

In all, he said around 41 athletes would go to the Games and going by the performance, "we should do well although the competitions will be tougher this time."

On how `clean' the Indian athletes are in the context of doping, Mr. Bhanot said all of them had been tested three times in the last six months. "We did not have a problem. We do not expect any. We will be vigilant in any case," he said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport