Golden chance for mixed relay team to book Paris berth

Deepankar Sharda

Panchkula, June 26

All eyes will be on the mixed 4×400 metres event when the National Inter-State Championships begin here tomorrow.

With both the Indian men’s 4x400m and women’s 4x400m relay teams having qualified for the Paris Olympics during the World Athletics Relays in Bahamas, the meet offers the mixed relay team a shot at redemption and a Paris berth as well.

However, it won’t be a cakewalk for the Indian quartet as they will have to break the national record of 3 minutes and 14.12 seconds, which was set only last month at the Asian Relay Championships.

Only 16 teams will compete in the mixed 4x400m relay event in Paris and 14 have already been booked. Italy (3:10.69) and Kenya (3:11.88) are the frontrunners to take the two remaining slots.

The June 30 deadline is inching closer and India will have to clock at least 3:11.87 to be sure of taking the Paris flight. The task is a difficult one but Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president Adille Sumariwalla has a lot of confidence in the team.

“We are hopeful that the national mixed 4x400m relay squad would earn a ticket to the Olympic Games,” said Sumariwalla on the eve of the meet. “The team can clock a good time to earn a world ranking of 16 or below. The team narrowly missed a chance at the Asian Relays in Bangkok on May 20,” he added.

Since two international teams are required to take the timing into consideration by World Athletics, India have invited Sri Lanka and Maldives for the event.

Athletes to train in Poland

Meanwhile, the Indian athletes will have a 15-day stay in Poland before touching down in Paris, AFI chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair revealed today. The contingent will stay at Spala, which houses a world-class Olympics preparation centre. The centre is a professional training base for national and Olympics teams of many disciplines. “The team will stay for 15 or 20 days in Spala to get adapted to the conditions. The conditions at Spala are quite similar to the Olympics venue and it will be very convenient for our athletes,” said Nair.

Overtraining not a solution for better results: Nair

Chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair believes Indian athletics have come a long way and the rising expectations of the Indian masses are a testament to it. Winning medals is on top of the agenda but identifying and picking the right individual for the goal is as much important to him. “We are carrying a lot of hopes for the Paris Olympics. However, our aim is not only restricted to winning medals but also to develop a bright future. We (AFI) are undergoing a transformation, and it will benefit the young kids,” said Nair. “We have developed the NIDJAM (National Inter-District Junior Athletics Meet) into a talent-grabbing platform, the number of coaches has been increased and the interest of people has also developed in the sport,” he added.