Despite India being home to three of Asia’s five fastest women quartermilers this year, the Athletics Federation of India has chosen to send just one athlete to the event for the Asian Championships which begin in Bangkok on July 12. A country can send two athletes in each event.
Aishwarya Mishra, who won her heats in 52.85s but was later disqualified in the Federation Cup final for lane infringement, will be the lone athlete in the women’s 400m. Priya Mohan, the Federation Cup champion, is now out with health issues and is likely to return to training after a month.
Surprisingly 16-year-old Rezoana Mallick Heena who took the under-18 Asian title in an impressive 52.98s towards the end of April and who later won the under-20 Asian crown, does not find a place in the individual 400m but has been offered a berth in the women’s and mixed 4x400m relays.
The team includes stars like long jumpers M. Sreeshankar, Jeswin Aldrin and Shaili Singh, javelin thrower Annu Rani, Asian shot put record-holder Tajinderpal Singh Toor, Asian Games 1500m champion Jinson Johnson and decathlete Tejaswin Shankar.
With this year being packed with many majors including the World Championships and Asian Games, the AFI has decided to keep Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and Commonwealth Games 3000m steeple chase silver medallist Avinash Sable out of the Asian meet.
THE TEAM
Men: Rajesh Ramesh and Muhammed Ajmal (400m/4x400m Relay/4x400m Mixed Relay), Amoj Jacob (4x400m Relay/4x400m Mixed Relay), Nihal Joel William, Mijo Chacko Kurian and Muhammed Anas Yahiya (4x400m Relay), Krishan Kumar and Mohammed Afsal (800m), Ajay Kumar Saroj and Jinson Johnson (1500m), Gulveer Singh (5000m/10000m), Abhishek Pal (5000m/10000m), Mohammed Nurhasan and Bal Kishan (3000m Steeplechase), Yashas Palaksha and Santhosh Kumar (400m hurdles), Tejaswin Shankar (Decathlon), Sarvesh Anil Kushare (High Jump), Jeswin Aldrin and Murali Sreeshankar (Long Jump), Praveen Chithravel and Abdulla Aboobacker (Triple Jump), Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Karanveer Singh (Shot Put), Rohit Yadav and D P Manu (Javelin Throw), Akshdeep Singh and Vikash Singh (20km Race Walk).
Women: Jyothi Yarraji (200m/100m Hurdles), Nithya Ramraj (100m Hurdles), Aishwarya Mishra (400m/4x400m Relay/4x400m Mixed Relay), Chanda and Lavika Sharma (800m), Lili Das (1500m), Ankita (5000m), Parul Chaudhary (5000m/3000m Steeplechase), Sanjivani Jadhav (10000m), Priti (3000m Steeplechase), Pooja and Rubina Yadav (High Jump), Baranica Elangovan (Pole Vault), Shaili Singh and Ancy Sojan (Long Jump), Abha Khatua and Manpreet Kaur (Shot Put), Annu Rani (Javelin Throw), Swapna Barman (Heptathlon), Priyanka and Bhawna Jat (20km Race Walk), Rezoana Mallick Heena and Jyothika Sri Dandi (4x400m Relay/4x400m Mixed Relay), Anjali Devi, Jisna Mathew and Subha Venkatesan (4x400).
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