She is a Commonwealth Games long jump silver medallist but M.A. Prajusha will not represent Kerala in the event at next month's National Games in Ranchi, Jharkhand.
Prajusha has been given a berth only in the women's triple jump where she is also the National record-holder and fourth-place finisher at the New Delhi Commonwealth Games last year.
“Prajusha was here and her coach M.A. George too…she wanted to do only the triple jump at the National Games,” said M. Velayudhan Kutty, the Secretary of the Kerala Athletics Association, on Sunday night.
Was it a compromise formula?
“Even if it is a compromise formula, it was not formulated by us,” explained Mr. Kutty.
Mayookha Johny, the country's most promising athlete in both the long and triple jump but who was offcolour in both the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games with injury worries, has been given a long jump berth while Resmi Bose has been offered the second spot in women's long jump. Amitha Baby takes the second seat in the triple jump.
Only two athletes are allowed in each event and the maximum size of the team is not supposed to exceed 45.
The squad:Men: S. Arunjith (100, 4x100 relay), K.G. Renjith (100, 4x100), Sujith Kuttan, Dibin Eldhose, Freji Jose (all 4x100), Rahul G. Pillai (200m, 4x100), Joseph G. Abraham (400m hurdles, 4x400 relay), Avin A. Thomas (400m hurdles, 4x400), Jithin Paul, K. Shareef (both 400m, 4x400), R. Rajeev (800, 1500, 4x400), Soji Mathew (5000, 10,000m), Arun S. Kumar (high jump), K.P. Bimin, Bineesh Jacob (both pole vault), Renjith Maheswary (triple jump). Raja Oommen, Basil George (both long jump), P.J. Vinod, Dhaneesh Stephen (both decathlon), Sajeesh Joseph (800, 1500), Akhil Krishnan (110m hurdles).
Women: P.K. Priya (100m, 4x100), Shamna Muhammed (100), V. Shanthini (200, 4x100), Neethu Rajan (4x100), Ambika Sreedharan (400), C. Arya (400, 4x400), R. Anu, Anju Thomas (both 4x400, 400m hurdles), Tintu Luka (800m, 4x400), S.R. Bindu (800, 1500), Preeja Sreedharan (5000, 10,000), Jijimol Jacob (5000), M.V. Remeswari (10,000, 3000m steeple chase), M.M. Anchu (100m hurdles), N.K. Siji (high jump), K.C. Dija, K.P. Anusha (pole vault), Mayookha Johny (long jump), Resmi Bose (long jump), M.A. Prajusha (triple jump), Amitha Baby (triple jump), Anitha Abraham (hammer throw), K.D. Sindhu (heptathlon).
Coaches: P.R. Purushothaman, K.I. Gopalakrishna Pillai, M.M. Satheeshan, A. Avinash Kumar. Managers: V.C. Alex, N.V. Lissy.
