The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) is focusing on securing podium finishes in multiple events. Among them, men’s javelin throw and women’s long jump hold the most promise. Kamal Ali, head coach of the junior development group, said:
Commenting on Shaili and Kunwer’s recent performances, Ali said:
Olympic javelin champion Neeraj Chopra won gold in the 2016 edition of the World U-20 Championships in Poland. At the 2018 edition, in Finland, India’s Sahil Silwal finished fourth while Arshdeep Singh failed to qualify for the final of the same event.
On the performance of men’s javelin throwers at the 2018 edition, the coach conceded that there was a gap. But he expressed hope of Kunwer winning a medal in Nairobi.
However, Kunwer Ajai Raj Singh hasn’t been consistent this year. At the junior national meet in Bhopal in January he threw 66.38m. In February, he finished seventh at the Guwahati National Junior Meet. His best throw was 65m.
However, Kunwer managed to cross the 70m mark in the junior national meet held earlier this month in Sangrur, Punjab. The event served as the final selection trials for the World Championships in Kenya.
Coach Ali is also hoping for a good performance in the women’s 400m sprint. He’s banking on Priya Mohan of Karnataka and Summy of Haryana.
In 2018, India’s Hima Das won gold in the women’s 400m. She was the first Indian athlete to win a medal in a track event at the championships.
Commenting on their performance, Ali said:
The AFI is also hoping for good results in the mixed relay event, introduced from this edition. The junior development coach said:
According to Ali, the Kenya-bound Indian squad attended a two-week camp in Patiala. Their main focus was to fine-tune their fitness. He said:
You might also like: Punjab’s Kunwer Rana bags gold in U-17 javelin
0 votes
