The venue has been changed from Kolkata to Guwahati
With the Olympic Council of Asia and the Asian Athletics Association not responding to the Athletics Federation of India’s request to extend the entry deadline for the coming Asian Games, the AFI has advanced the four-day National inter-State championship from July 15 to the last week of June.
There is also a change of venue, from Kolkata, and the championship — the Asian Games qualification — will now be held at Guwahati from June 26 to 29.
“There was no response from the OCA and AAA and since the last date for sending entries for the Asiad (in Jakarta in August) is June 30, we did not want to wait further,” deputy chief National coach Radhakrishnan Nair told The Hindu from Patiala on Sunday after the AFI’s planning commission and coaches meeting there.
Guidelines diluted
The AFI has also diluted the entry guidelines in more than 15 events, mostly in the women’s section, from those announced in September. Many athletes had complained that the qualification standards were very tough.
“We have done this in distance events because in most of the countries, like Japan and China, they have been training in cold conditions while Jakarta will be very hot during the Asiad,” said Radhakrishnan.
“Since we are used to hot conditions, we are expecting some good results, that is why we had brought down the guidelines.”
AFI’s qualification guidelines for Asian Games (read as event, men, women unless otherwise specified): 100m: men 10.18s, women 11.67s; 200m: 20.87s, 23.50s; 400m: 46.04s, 52.47s; 800m: 1:47.50s, 2:03.00s.
1500m: 3:45.00s, 4:16.88s; 5000m: 13:50.00s, 15:45.00s; 10,000m: 29:10s, 33:00; marathon: 2:13:21s, 2:33.14s.
110m hurdles (M) 13.67s; 100m hurdles (W): 13.39s.
400m hurdles: 50.80s, 57.52s; 3000m steeple chase: 8:41.40s, 9:50.00s; pole vault: 5.45m, 4.10m.
High jump: 2.25m, 1.87m; long jump: 7.81m, 6.34m; triple jump: 16.62m, 13.75m; shot put: 19.50m, 17.00m; discus: 61.00m, 57.00m.
Javelin: 81.00m, 59.00m; hammer: 70.36m, 60.00m.
Decathlon (M): 7749 pts; heptathlon (W): 5400 pts; 20km walk: 1:22:00s, 1:34:54s; 50km walk (M) 3:55:00s;.
4x100m relay: 38.98s, 44.50s; 4x400m relay: 3:04.50s, 3:32.50s.
