Indian athletics season-opener postponed

With the 22nd Asian Athletics Championship pushed back from June to July, the Athletics Federation of India has also decided to postpone the series of national meets which were scheduled for April and May.

The Indian track-and-field season was supposed to open in New Delhi with the first Indian Grand Prix on April 11 but now that has been put off.

With the 22nd Asian Athletics Championship pushed back from June to July, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has also decided to postpone the series of national meets which were scheduled for April and May.

According to the AFI calendar released earlier, the Indian track and field season was supposed to open in New Delhi with the first Indian Grand Prix on April 11, but now that has been put off. Apart from the New Delhi leg, the second Indian GP was scheduled for April 15 in Patiala while another Indian GP leg and the Federation Cup – both in New Delhi – were listed on the calendar for May. But all of them have been postponed.

“We are consulting coaches and athletes about the new dates. They will be announced shortly,” said an AFI source.

Ranchi was supposed to host the Asian championship from June 1 to 4 but with Jharkhand backing out, the event was shifted to Bhubaneswar in Odisha and will now be held from July 6 to 9.