Thin field for Indian Grand Prix-1 as Hima Das, Vismaya return

In the absence of top stars, it will be an opportunity for junior athletes to hog the limelight at the Indian Grand Prix-1.

Published : Mar 19, 2023 19:57 IST , Thiruvananthapuram - 2 MINS READ

Hima Das will return to action at the Indian Grand Prix-1.
Hima Das will return to action at the Indian Grand Prix-1. | Photo Credit: B. Velankanni Raj
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Hima Das will return to action at the Indian Grand Prix-1. | Photo Credit: B. Velankanni Raj

Most of the country’s elite athletes have chosen to skip the Indian Grand Prix-1 meet which begins at the LNCPE Karyivattom here on Monday.

The lukewarm response is surprising and comes at a time when the meet is the season opener for the majority of the athletes who are hoping to qualify for the Asian Games and other global meets this year. In the absence of top stars, it will be an opportunity for junior athletes to hog the limelight.

The event will mark the return of Hima Das to top-level competition after her injury-forced break. Hima and V.K. Vismaya, who is also making a comeback after injury and marriage, will lock horns in women’s 200m.

The much-anticipated showdown between national record holder Jeswin Aldrin and M. Sreeshankar in long jump will not materialise as both athletes have chosen to skip the event. Mohammed Anees, who is participating in the all-India Police meet, will also be absent.

However, the long jump event in the women’s section has attracted the season leader Ancy Sojan and Nayana James. The presence of upcoming long jumpers Sandra Babu, P.S. Prabhavathi and Ashna Shaji will make the competition a bit tougher. Almost all the leading men’s triple jumpers are absent and the event has attracted only two entries.

The men’s 5000m will have the maximum number of participants and a potential Murali Kumar Gavit-Gulveer Singh face-off will make the event interesting. Amiya Kumar Mallick, T. Dhaneshwari and Archana Suseendra headline the 100m. Rubina Yadav (high jump) and Manpreet Kaur (shot put) are the two prominent athletes who will be competing on Monday. A seven-member athletics team from Maldives will also be taking part in the event.

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