AFI not to allow national campers for varsities Nationals

Sumariwalla leaves choice to athletes but if they go, it will be tough to return to camp

Priya H. Mohan, the country’s fastest quartermiler last year and an under-20 Worlds mixed relay medallist, will be running in the National inter-university women’s athletics championships which begin in Bhubaneswar on Monday.

Another under-20 Worlds relay medallist Summy and under-23 National champion long jumper Sandra Babu will also be competing in Bhubaneswar because they are not in the national camp.

But other promising athletes, like under-20 long jump National champion Ancy Sojan and Inter-State National 200m gold medallist P.D. Anjali will not be able to compete as the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has not allowed national campers to go for the varsities Nationals.

The Kerala Athletics Association has now written to the AFI to permit the State’s university stars in the national camp to compete in the varsities meet.

“If the athletes miss the varsities Nationals, they cannot go for the World University Games (China, June) or the Khelo India University Games,” said Sakeer Hussain, the Director of Physical Education at Calicut University to which Ancy and Anjali belong to.

“They will also lose the 25% grace marks which they are eligible for if they win the varsities Nationals. And some colleges are close to losing their NAAC accreditation, the performance of these athletes in varsities meet could help them climb up the NAAC charts.”

But the AFI is clear about its stand.