The athletics competitors of the fourth Khelo India University Games begins in Guwahati on Sunday, however many National varsities champions have determined to give the Games a miss.
Madras University’s quartermiler S.Okay. Kaven, dash hurdler R. Manav and 400m hurdler Ashwin Krishna — all gold medallists eventually month’s National inter-university championships in Chennai — won’t be in motion on the Khelo India occasion.
“The university had informed the colleges (about the Khelo India University Games) but we did not get information from them. We don’t know whether their college refused to send them or the athletes refused to go,” Gopalakrishnan, the supervisor of the Madras University workforce, advised The Hindu on Saturday night.
Kaven had clocked a private finest 47.09s whereas successful the varsities Nationals 400m gold in early January.
Calicut University triple jumper V.S. Sebastian, who was adjudged as one of the best athlete on the males’s varsities Nationals after producing a private finest 16.19m, has additionally determined to skip the Khelo India Games.
“I want to focus on the Athletics Federation of India meets this season, starting with the Federation Cup (in May),” mentioned the 20-year-old, who’s coached by T.P. Ouseph, who had guided World Championships lengthy bounce bronze medallist Anju Bobby George earlier.
“My elder sister Meera Shibu (the triple jump champion at the women’s varsities Nationals in Bhubaneswar in December) has also decided to skip the Khelo India event. She has got an ankle pain too.
“She had won gold at the Khelo India University Games earlier, but there’s not much benefit in competing in the meet, you don’t get grace marks or any cash awards there. She is also focusing on AFI meets this year,” mentioned Sebastian from his coaching base close to Irinjalakuda in Thrissur.
The prime eight finishers on the varsities National meets robotically qualify for the Khelo India University Games however for the reason that AFI doesn’t recognise performances of the inter-university Nationals, the Khelo India Games supply a great probability for athletes to impress the nationwide federation and get into nationwide camps too.
Over 400 athletes can be in motion within the three-day occasion.
