With an eye on Worlds, AFI names Asian Athletics Championships
Focus will also be on the 4x400m teams, especially the women's that had been unsteady for a while after injuries and a slew of doping cases. At the last edition of the Asian athletics meet, India had finished with 27 medals that included six gold.
AFI selection committee chairperson Adille Sumariwalla said that the focus is on the World Athletics Championships. He said that the Asian athletics will be a stepping stone towards the mega event of the year.
'This is a stepping stone only,' he told this daily. 'Now it is time for us to focus on the world championships. An athlete cannot peak multiple times like at the Asian Championships and again later at the worlds. It is an ongoing process. We had put up the qualifying standards (Asian meet) well in advance (December 31, last year). We are strictly following those qualifying standards.'
The AFI would take some solace in some good performances in the lead up to the Asian meet. There were quite a few meet and national records during the four-day competition that concluded on Thursday. However, Sumariwalla has a different take on this. 'There will always be good and not so good performances. We should learn from whatever has happened on the ground. If it is good we should analyse why it is good or whether it is (peaking) too early or too late. If it is bad we should find out why it is not good and what is required to be good to perform well at the world championships.'
The former AFI president and current spokesperson also said that the relay teams, especially the 4x400m women's, will be decided closer to the World Championships. The AFI president Bahadur Singh Sagoo said that the AFI was not sending a 4x400m women's team for the World Athletics Relays. The AFI has named a six-member women's 4x400 relay team for the Asian meet but according to the selection committee chief, the six names are not automatic choices for the world championships.
Sumariwalla said that the World Athletics meet is still about five months away and they would finalise the names days before the event. 'We have selected athletes for the camp (in Thiruvananthapuram) based on their performances and we keep adding and deleting names based on their performances,' he said. 'We keep inviting people and it's their prerogative if they want to join or not. But we are clear that they have to be part of the camp to run in relays. It is a team event and if they don't want to train together then we don't want them. We are not the USA that has the sprint power. But still they lose 4x100m relays because of lack of coordination. So we have to train together. There is a bonding. Important thing is that the team should be staying together.'
This is also to avoid issues like we had with Nirmala Sheoran, Sumariwalla said. 'If she had run in the relay we could have lost medals at the Asian Games in Jakarta,' he said. Nirmala was banned for four year after the Athletics Integrity Unit tested her in 2018 and nullified all the results between 2016 and 2018. India lost a medal won at the 2017 Asian athletics meet. She lost her Asian titles and India had lost a relay medal as well.
'The reason we have told them to participate in two events is to ensure that there are no issues later on. There have been instances when athletes used to get cleaned up before the final trials. They would be hiding and not run the whole year and then come and compete in the final trials and by the time they reach the event timings change. We have seen this time and again. We are trying our best to avoid those things."
He said even though he would not like to predict he expected the athletes to perform better than last time. 'Each one of them should perform their best,' he said.
India's squad:
Men:
Animesh Kujur (200m), Anu Kumar and Krishan Kumar (800m), Yoonus Shah (1500m), Avinash Sable (3000m steeplechase), Gulveer Singh and Abhishek Pal (5000m), Gulveer Singh and Sawan Barwal (10,000m), Praveen Chithravel and Abdulla Aboobacker (triple jump), Sarvesh Kushare (high jump), Sachin Yadav and Yasvir Singh (javelin throw), Samardeep Singh (shot put), Tejaswin Shankar (decathlon), Servin Sebastian and Amit (20km race walk).
4x100m relay: Pranav Pramod Gurav, Animesh Kujur, Manikanta Hoblidar, Amlan Borgohain, Tamilarasu S, Ragul Kumar G, Gurvindervir Singh.
4x400m relay: Vishal TK, Jay Kumar, Manu TS, Rince Joseph, Tushar Manna, Santhosh Kumar, Dharamveer Choudhary, Mohit Kumar.
Women:
Nithya Gandhe (200m), Rupal Chaudhary and Vithya Ramraj (400m), Twinkle Chaudhary and Pooja (800m), Lili Das and Pooja (1500m), Parul Chaudhary and Ankita (3000m steeplechase), Sanjivani Jadav and Parul Chaudhary (5000m), Sanjivani Jadhav and Seema (10,000m), Jyothi Yarraji (100m hurdles), R Vithya Ramraj and Anu R (400m), Shaili Singh and Ancy Sojan (long jump), Pooja (high jump), Seema (discus throw), Annu Rani (javelin throw), Agsara Nandini (heptathlon).
4x100m relay: Nithya Gandhe, Abinaya Rajarajan, Sneha SS, Srabani Nanda, Daneshwari AT, V Sudheeksha.
4x400m relay: Rupal Chaudhary, Sneha K, Subha Venkatesan, Jisna Mathew, Kunja Rajitha, Sarndramol Sabu.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
18 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘You sit out the best bowler in the world after 7-day break': Ravi Shastri slams Gambhir, Gill for resting Jasprit Bumrah in Edgbaston Test
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has slammed the team management for resting pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for the second Test against England which began in Edgbaston on Wednesday due to workload management. When asked by former England batter Michael Atherton at the toss, skipper Shubman Gill said that though Bumrah was fit, the management believed that the speedster will be of more importance during the third Test at Lord's, starting July 10. 'Just to manage his workload. We did get a good break and this is an important match for us. But the third Test being at Lord's, we think there'll be more in that pitch so we'll use him there,' Gill said as India unveiled three changes to the line-up. Seamer Akash Deep was roped in to replace Bumrah while Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy replaced Shardul Thakur and Sai Sudharsan. Shastri did not approve of India's idea to rest a fully-fit Bumrah for a crucial match after a run of poor results in Test cricket since October 2024. In their last nine Tests, India have won only one match, making it their worst run in whites in over a decade. Holding captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir accountable for the decision on the broadcast, Shastri said there 'no ifs and buts' about Bumrah resting for this match. While Bumrah and the management had iterated that he would be in contention to play at best three matches due to his workload, Shastri said it shouldn't up to the pacer to pick and choose which matches he would play. "This becomes a very important Test match" 👀 Ravi Shastri on the impact of Jasprit Bumrah missing the second Test 🇮🇳 — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 2, 2025 'This is a very important match, they've had a week off. I'm little surprised Bumrah is not playing this game. It should be taken out of the player's hand. It should be the captain and the head coach that should decide who should be playing the 11. This is an important game in the context of the series, he should be playing this game more than anything else. Lord's can come later. This is the important game where you have to counter-punch almost straightaway. 'Play this one. Make it 1-1 and then give him the option: you want to rest at Lord's, rest at Lord's. You think he'll rest at Lord's? No chance if you win this. 'If you look at the run, India has had, this becomes a very, very important test match. You've lost three against New Zealand, you've lost three against Australia. You've lost the first Test match here and you want to get back to winning ways. You have the best fast bowler in the world, and you make him sit out after seven days of rest, it's something very hard to believe,' lamented Shastri. Bumrah was the pick of the India bowlers in the Leeds Test, claiming his 14th five-wicket haul in the first innings of the match where he also became the first Asian bowler to record 150 SENA wickets.
Business Standard
22 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Cricmax Connect: Powering the Organic Growth of Cricket in America
PNN New Delhi [India], July 2: Cricket may be one of the world's most loved sports, but in the U.S., it has long struggled to move beyond immigrant backyards and local leagues. While the arrival of Major League Cricket (MLC) and the World Cup success of the U.S. national team is promising, one key element remains missing -- a structured, sustainable feeder system for young talent. That's exactly the gap Cricmax Connect, founded by Vinay Bhimjiani (former CEO of USA Cricket), is working to fill. Cricmax Connect and the Youth Cricket Development Board are delivering the only Olympic-aligned cricket development platform in Los Angeles, through an exclusive partnership with the City of Los Angeles and the Play LA Program, a joint initiative with the LA Olympics committee. The initiative has already reached over 10,000 youth in Los Angeles through PlayLA Summer Camps, and is rapidly expanding into New York, New Jersey, Florida, and Chicago. And at its core lies a mission far bigger than sport -- it's about building identity, a community, and an opportunity. Closing the "Missing Middle" "In India, you have pathways like the Ranji Trophy, school and district tournaments that feed into national selection. In the U.S., we've never had that," says Vinay Bhimjiani, Founder & CEO, Cricmax Connect. "What we have are commercial academies developing individual talent in silos. What's missing is the middle -- a national, schools, parks and communities-supported structure that connects grassroots participation to higher-level competition. That's what Cricmax Connect is building." Cricmax Connect was launched with this very purpose: to create a new, tech-enabled youth cricket ecosystem that is scalable, inclusive, and rooted in community-level engagement. The platform integrates grassroots learning with structured programming, bridging the gap between raw interest and real opportunity. A Bridge for the Next Generation The timing couldn't be more critical. With cricket returning to the Olympics, the sport has a global spotlight, and the U.S. is being seen as the next frontier. But as media and investors' interest grow, youth development must keep pace. "Cricket can be a bridge -- especially for South Asian diaspora youth in America," Bhimjiani adds."So many kids grow up disconnected from their heritage. Cricket gives them pride, purpose, and belonging. But we also want to make it appealing beyond that -- for any child in any zip code." Cricmax Connect is already working with schools, parks, and city-run camps to embed cricket into youth programming, and has built a curriculum that focuses not just on skills, but also character, confidence, and culture. Celebrating the Movement This August, Cricmax Connect will take its message to one of the world's most iconic locations. On August 15, 2025, it will host a Cricket Showcase at Times Square, celebrating India's Independence Day while spotlighting youth engagement and cricket's growing footprint in the U.S. That same day, the Empire State Building will light up, symbolising how the sport is illuminating a new cultural and athletic chapter in America. Just two days later, on August 17, Cricmax Connect will also feature prominently at the Park Avenue India Day Parade -- engaging communities and showing how cricket is becoming part of the American mainstream. Building the Infrastructure, Not Just the Hype "For years, we've seen cricket thrive in pockets across the country, but that's not enough," says Atul Rai, Chairman of the Youth Cricket Development Board, which partners with Cricmax Connect on this initiative."We need a unifying ecosystem -- a real feeder structure. Our goal is to take the sport into schools, public rec centres, and provide scholarship programs -- so a kid playing cricket has the same opportunity as one playing football or soccer." The ambition doesn't stop at participation. Cricmax Connect's roadmap includes scholarship-linked programming, league development, and potential entry into NCAA-level conversations. The dream? A future where cricket is a mainstream youth sport, complete with pathways to college, professional play, and Olympic representation. The Future Needs to be Structured, Scalable, and Now With tech giants like Google and Microsoft investing in U.S. cricket, and with media exposure from MLC on the rise, the momentum is undeniable. But growth needs structure for longevity. Cricmax Connect is ensuring that America doesn't just play cricket -- it builds an ecosystem where the game can thrive. "We're not here for a moment," Bhimjiani says. "We're building a movement -- one city, one school, one park, one player at a time." (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Why Faith Kipyegon's attempt at the sub-4-minute mile matters
Last Thursday Simta Sharma stayed up till 11.30pm, uncharacteristically glued to the television. Despite an early start the next morning, the Bengaluru-based 36-year-old software professional was not going to miss it. Martin Owens, head coach at Odisha Reliance Foundation High Performance Centre, who was in Europe traveling with his athletes that day, too was keeping a close eye on what was happening in Paris that evening. Breaking 4 was, after all, the biggest moonshot in the world of athletics this year where 34-year-old Faith Kipyegon, Kenya's triple Olympic gold medallist and world record holder in 1,500m and the mile (1,600m), was attempting to become the first woman to run a mile under 4 minutes. Breaking4, Nike's brand new campaign to break another time barrier, comes on the back of the success of its Breaking2 project in which multiple Olympic medallist Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya became the first man ever to run a marathon in under 2 hours under controlled conditions in Vienna in 2019. BREAKING THE BARRIER Sharma, a recreational runner with multiple podium finishes in long distance races ranging from 10km to the full marathon, wasn't sure if Kipyegon would be able to pull off the feat but she found enough inspiration in the fact that the athlete was even attempting it. 'To know that a woman is breaking a big barrier and can run as fast as or faster than men motivates me and makes me happy. It shows I can do more and achieve better times in my races. I was really rooting for her," says Sharma. Owens, owing to his greater experience in elite athletics than Sharma, knew it was a long shot but all the same thought the mere attempt to break the 4-minute mile barrier for women was significant. The first man to run a mile under 4 minutes was Roger Banister, who ran a mile in 3 minutes 59.40 seconds in 1954. On Thursday in Paris, Kipyegon went faster than she ever has and completed the mile in 4 minutes 6.42 seconds, about a second faster than her own world record of 4 minutes 7.64 seconds. 'It was a phenomenal performance to run 4.06… really outstanding… but it shows how difficult it is. Faith did exceptionally well but we still have a long way to go," says Owens. Breaking the 4-minute barrier for women will be a historic moment, feel Sharma and Owens. 'When Banister did it, it was a big deal because people didn't think it was possible. He showed it could be done and once that psychological barrier was overcome, a lot of people ran a mile under 4 minutes," notes Owens. 'For women [breaking the 4-minute mile] shows that women's athletics and sports is getting on par with men and that the world is no longer patronising women about them being the weaker, fairer sex. If a woman bags a 4-minute mile, it puts her ahead of a lot of very good male runners," says Owens explaining the significance of Kipyegon's attempt. 'Women in India need to see some positive role models and I think Faith would be a very good role model for young Indian women to get out there and participate in athletics." BRAND VALUE While achieving the 4-minute mile is undoubtedly a huge landmark for women's sports, many also see this as a strategic marketing move by Nike given that the sports brand developed new shoes, an aerodynamic skinsuit and a 3D printed sports bra to help Kipyegon. After all, Nike's Breaking2 attempt immediately led to a huge demand for carbon plate-powered road running shoes despite the hefty price tag. Owens is quick to point out that track spikes are unlikely to lead to much demand or sales as was the case with road running shoes but 'it makes for a great story." Given the slowing profits and the stiff competition that the brand has been facing from new brands such as On and Hoka One One, Nike is badly in need of a great story that can improve its fortunes, relevance and sales. But Nike is probably looking at innovation, design evolution and sales too. The upper of the prototype spikes that Kipyegon wore for her effort in Paris weighs just 3 grams. That material could potentially appear in Nike's other race day shoes soon. The 3D printed bra and skin suit are what Sharma is already eyeing if they can actually help her improve her race timings. Talking of timings, Owens has no doubt that a woman will pull off a 4-minute mile. 'It will be a significant milestone in the history of athletics when that does happen and it will happen. Faith did exceptionally well but we still have got a long way to go," says Owens, relieved for now that the new technology used in shoes, apparel and modern day race tracks doesn't make athletic achievement that easy. Shrenik Avlani is a writer and editor and the co-author of The Shivfit Way, a book on functional fitness.
