The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) will be sending the 4x400m relay squads for a month-long competition-cum-training programme in the Bahamas ahead of the World Relay championships, said its president Adille Sumariwalla.
The World Relay championships will be held in Nassau, Bahamas on May 4 and 5. Speaking to Sportstar on the sidelines of the Indian Open 400m 2024 event at the LNCPE, Kariyavattom, Mr Sumariwalla said the main aim for sending the relay squad was to give them a chance to acclimatise and to provide competition before the world relay meet.
“We will be sending 14 athletes along with six coaches and support staff to the Bahamas, and they will be based there for at least a month. They will also be taking part in two or three competitions as part of preparation for the World Relays. The team will be announced in the Bahamas after the final trials, which we will conduct,’’ said Sumariwalla.
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Sumariwalla was impressed with the performance of the athletes in the season opener and said the timings and close races gave sufficient indications that the season ahead was going to be bright.
“It was a good performance from the athletes at this time of the year, and it is a sign that we will have a good season ahead. Look at the timings, we saw a string of sub-47 and sub-48 timings in men and sub-53 in the women’s section. I am confident that five or six male athletes will be able to touch 45s and below in competitions this season. I expect our women runners to clock 51s and below this season. Never in the past have we seen such a good performance so early in the season. The campers ran the event after doing a full workout2, and I think that is very good. It shows that they are in good shape, and I am very pleased I was apprehensive earlier,’’ he said.
Sumariwalla added that the injury to Rajesh Ramesh was not serious and the athlete would recover in two weeks.
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