Athletics ATHL E TIC S FE D E R ATIO N ONEWSLETTER

F IND IA JULY - 2024

– JULY 2024
Federation
of India
www.indianathletics.in

READY TO GO!
Inside pg. 02 I Grand send-off ceremony to pg. 05 I Avinash Sable ready to battle
Story Paris bound athletics contingent with the best in the business in Paris

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 GRAND SEND-OFF CEREMONY TO
PARIS BOUND ATHLETICS CONTINGENT

Members of the Paris bound Indian athletics team pose for a photograph at HSBC send off ceremony.

It was a grand send off ceremony to Paris bound track and field
athletes by HSBC India and AFI (Athletics Federation of India)
earlier this month in Chandigarh.

T
he event was graced by India’s 2008 corporate sector to come forward to support
Beijing Olympic Games champion in sports in the country. The AFI president said, the
men’s 10m air rifle, Abhinav Bindra. Paris Olympic Games qualification standard
The former ace shooter shared his vast was tough. “But the athletes worked hard to
international experience with the athletes stay on course to earn tickets to the Olympic
present on the occasion and encouraged Games,” Sumariwalla added. “We are
them to stay focused in the last leg of the confident of a good show in France.”
Olympic Games preparation. “All the hard
work must have been done,” Bindra added. HSBC India has been associated with the
“The last lap is to fine tune the preparation and AFI since 2022 to support women athletes.
showcase your potential at the quadrennial Sumariwalla said Indian athletes are making
extravaganza event in France.” good progress. “Good number of Indian
athletes are making the cut for the finals
Adille Sumariwalla, AFI president said, in their respective events at the major
partnership with the HSBC India has not only international events, including World Athletics
helped in enhancing training facilities for the Championships,” Sumariwalla explained.
athletes, but it has also encouraged more

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 ATHL E TIC S FE D E R ATIO N O F IND IA JULY - 2024

Speaking on the occasion, Sandeep

Batra Head of Wealth and Personal
Banking HSBC India, lauded the efforts of
“ Partnership with the HSBC India
the athletes to earn Paris Olympic Games has not only helped in enhancing
qualification. “Our athletes embody training facilities for the athletes,
the true spirit of perseverance and
excellence,” Batra added.
but it has also encouraged
more corporate sector to come
Cream of Indian athletics, including forward to support sports
javelin thrower Annu Rani, triple jumper
Praveen Chithravel and shot putter in the country”.
Tajinderpal Singh Toor were present on Adille Sumariwalla
the occasion. Members of the national
4x400m relay teams were also present.

AFI UNVEILS NEW LOGO IN OLYMPIC YEAR

The 63rd National Inter-State Senior Athletics
Championships held between June 27 to
30 at Panchkula’s Tau Devilal Stadium saw
cream of Indian track and field in action.

It was also the most appropriate occasion

to unveil the new Athletics Federation of
India (AFI) logo. Hon’ble Sports Minister
Dr Mansukh Mandaviya unveiled the AFI
logo in presence of AFI president Adille
Sumariwalla.

The track and field meet in Panchkula was

the last leg of the domestic competition Hon’ble Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya
ahead of the Paris Olympic Games starting unveils AFI logo in presence of AFI president Adille
July 26 in France. Athletics events at the Sumariwalla.
Olympic Games will be held between
August 1 to 11 in Paris.

The sports minister said youth of the

country are eager to showcase their
potential in sporting events at the world
stage. “The preparation of the Paris bound
Indian contingent has gone well,” the sports
minister said. “We are expecting good
results in Paris.”

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 Impressive show by top athletes at
National Inter State meet in Panchkula

Members of India A mixed 4x400m relay teamceremony.

Spotlight was on quarter-milers and javelin throwers event. She clocked an impressive time of 50.92
during the four-day National Inter State Senior seconds to better the Olympic Games qualification
Athletics Championships held between June 27 to time of 50.95 seconds in the semis. The promising
30 in Panchkula, Haryana. sprinter dominated the final and repeated her
semifinal time on way to winning gold. Moving up to
Distance runners too made a big impression in longer races, it was Asian Games medalist Gulveer
the last leg of the national meet in Panchkula Singh who exhibited his endurance in the men’s
ahead of the Paris Olympic Games starting July 5,000m. He was a comfortable winner with a time
26. The track and field competition will be of 13:34.64 seconds on the Indian soil which
held between August 1 to 11 at Stade de INTER-STATE augurs well for the future for the 26-year-old
France in Paris. The domestic competition MEET IN army runner who has repeatedly run good
in Panchkula also proved to be a good PANCHKULA races below 13 minutes 30 seconds on the
platform for the Paris bound athletes USA circuit. He holds the national record of
including Annu Rani (javelin), Tajinderpal 13:18.92 seconds, but wasn’t able to make cut
Singh Toor (shot put), Avinash Sable (3,000m for the Paris Olympic Games through the Road
steeplechase) and Parul Chaudhary (3,000m to Paris ranking system. The automatic qualification
steeplechase) to test their skills ahead of the time in men’s 5,000m was 13:05.00. Railways
Olympic Games. Ankita, winner of women’s 5,000m in Panchkula,
was lucky to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games
Core group of 400m runners attending the national through World Athletics ranking system (42 rank).
camp in preparation for the Paris Olympic Games Away from track races, there was intense battle at
gave all they had to stay on course to cement their the javelin throwing arena. Haryana’s Sahil Silwal
position in the men and women’s 4x400m relay surged ahead with a throw of 81.81m. Vikrant Malik
teams. Both men and women’s 4x400m relay teams representing Odisha was second with 81.74m. Asian
have qualified for the Olympic Games. But it was Games medalist and Paris bound javelin thrower
Haryana’s 24 years old Kiran Pahal who was the Kishore Kumar Jena finished third with a throw of
main attraction in the women’s individual 400m 80.84m.

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 ATHL E TIC S FE D E R ATIO N O F IND IA JULY - 2024

Avinash Sable ready to battle with

the best in the business in Paris
Army’s 29 years old Asian Games champion,
Avinash Sable, dipped below 8 minutes
10 seconds in his pet event—3,000m
steeplechase--- at the Paris Diamond
League on Sunday (July 7), indicating he
was on the right track and ready to battle
with the best in the business.

With just three weeks to go for the

Paris Olympic Games, Sable switched to
competitive mood clocking 8:09.91 seconds
to improve his own national record of
8:11.20 in steeplechase at the Paris Diamond
League. He overall finished sixth.

The army runner was based out of PARIS

Colorado Springs in USA to prepare DIAMOND
for the Paris Olympic Games. He LEAGUE
sparsely competed over the 3,000m
steeplechase event this season.

Paris Diamond League was his third

steeplechase race of the 2024 season. A
week before the Paris Diamond League, he
competed at the Panchkula’s National Inter
State Senior Athletics Championships to test
himself.

He ran solo. His winning time of 8:31.75

seconds was better than his meet record of
8:33.19 seconds set in 2019. Despite running
at a comfortable pace, he was far ahead Avinash Sable improved his national 3,000m
of his rivals. Sable claimed his plan was steeplechase record to 8:09.91seconds.
to deliver goods at the right time. “There
was no one to push me in the domestic
meet,” Sable said after Panchkula’s race. 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games held in Japan in
“But my main goal is to perform at the Paris 2021. He has also competed in three World
Olympics Games. I will certainly give my best Athletics Championships starting 2019 in
at the right time.”The army runner made Doha.
his Olympic Games debut at the delayed

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 AFI to send a strong team to
Paris Olympic Games
India’s 26 years old Olympic and
world champion in men’s javelin
throw, Neeraj Chopra, is among
29-member track and field team
shortlisted by Athletics Federation
of India (AF) selection panel for
the Paris Olympic Games.

The 29-member Indian athletics

contingent includes 12 female
athletes for the Olympic Games
starting July 26. The track
and field competition will be
conducted at Stade de France
stadium in Paris between August Team officials: Ravinder Chaudhry (team manager), Radha
1 to August 11. Krishnan Nair (team coach), Jason Dawson (coach--4x400m M),
Valerii Stadshuk (coach--4x400m W), Scott Simmons (coach--
World Athletics has also distance running), Klaus Bartoneitz (coach—javelin), Asanha De
introduced marathon race Silva (recovery expert), Brajesh Koushel (team doctor), Mayur
walk mixed relay event at the Thakkar (physio), Pawan Singh (masseur), Elmira Kisileva (masseur).
Paris Olympic Games, while Personal officials: Tatiana Sibileva (coach--race walk), Parveer Singh
men’s 50km race walk has been (coach--throws), J Premanand (coach—4x400m M), Denis Kapustin
excluded from the Olympics (coach—jumps), Ishaan Marwaha (physio), Betanzos Francis
programme. (coach—jumps), James Hiller (coach—hurdles)

Team- Men: Team- Women:

Avinash Sable (3,000m steeplechase), Kiran Pahal (400m), Parul
Neeraj Chopra, Kishore Kumar Jena Chaudhary (3,000m
(javelin throw), Tajinderpal Singh steeplechase and 5,000m).
Toor (shot put), Praveen Chithravel, Ankita (5,000m), Jyothi
Abulla Aboobacker (triple jump), Yarraji (100m hurdles), Annu
Sarvesh Kushare (high jump), Jeswin Rani (javelin throw), Abha
Aldrin (long jump), Akshdeep Singh, Khatua (shot put), Jyothika
Vikash Singh, Paramjeet Singh Bisht Sri Dandi, Subha Venkatesan,
(20km race walk), Muhammed Anas, Vithya Ramraj, Poovamma
Muhammed Ajmal, Amoj Jacob, MR, Prachi (4x400m relay),
Santhosh Tamilarasan, Rajesh Ramesh Priyanka Goswami (20km
(4x400m relay), Suraj Panwar (race race walk/ race walk mixed
walk mixed marathon) marathon).

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 TALENT IDENTIFICATION CAMP
More than 600 budding athletes attending the camp held between
June 20 to July 4 in Patiala, Lucknow, Godhra and Bengaluru.

The Talent Identification Camp across the country was sponsored by REC Limited.

I N D I A P L A Y S H E R E

Athletics Federation of India www.indianathletics.in