The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) President Adille Sumariwalla confirmed the development and stated that the organization had to make the required adjustments to allow Indian athletes to compete in the Asian Games.
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The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has pushed back two key domestic athletics meetings, the Senior Federation Cup and the Inter-State Championships, by one month. This decision has resulted in the top sportspersons to change their training and competing plans during a hectic year. The AFI indicated that they were forced to reschedule due to the need to deliver final submissions for the Asian Championships and Asian Games earlier than intended. The final submissions for the postponed Asian Games, which were supposed to take place in Hangzhou from September 23 to October 8, must be submitted by July 15 according to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). Likewise, the Asian Athletics Championships organizers have set a June 12 deadline for country federations to send final entries.
The Senior Federation Cup, which had been slated for June 12 to June 15, will instead take place in Ranchi from May 15 to May 18, 2023 as per the new schedule of the Athletics Federation of India. It will be the ultimate selection trial for the Asian Championships, to be held from July 12 to 16 in Pattaya, Thailand. The National Inter-State Championships is scheduled to be held in Bhubaneswar from June 15 to June 18 and will serve as a qualifying event for the Asian Games. Athletes will need to revise their plans as a result of the adjustments. In preparation for competing in international competitions, athletes like Murali Sreeshankar, Jeswin Aldrin, and Praveen Chithravel have already begun their training abroad.
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Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2022 silver medalist Murali Sreeshankar was supposed to compete in an event in Greece and Diamond League meets before returning home in time for the Inter-state competitions in July. Since the event has now been preponed by the Athletics Federation of India, he will have to return earlier owing to the new situation. Similarly, CWG 2022 gold medalist Eldhose Paul and silver medalist Abdulla Aboobacker were planning a tour abroad next month to compete in bronze and silver-level events in Greece and France to accumulate ranking points that would enable them to qualify for the World Championships.
The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) President Adille Sumariwalla confirmed the development and stated that the organization had to make the required adjustments to allow Indian athletes to compete in the Asian Games. He also hoped that the athletes will take advantage of the inter-state competitions as a chance to earn a spot in the Asian Games. Athletes will need to modify their training plans and competition schedules in order to participate in the events, as a result of the scheduling modifications.
It has been revealed that the jumpers may ask the Athletics Federation of India to excuse them from Federation Cup so they can participate in international competitions and win more points for the World Championships. Adjustments will have to be made by the coaches and athletes since the final trial will be crucial. This is an important season, with several noteworthy events planned.
