Athletics federation approves stricter selection criteria for Paris Olympics

Amritsar, Dec 2: The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has approved stringent selection criteria for next year’s Paris Olympics, bringing in a provision of an athlete needing to equal the mark of 16th place finisher in the Tokyo Olympics if he or she has to be considered. “The government has approved these (guidelines),” AFI Planning Commission chairman Lalit Bhanot said on Saturday.
“It is necessary for an athlete to achieve at least 16th place performance of the last Olympics held in Tokyo in 2021 apart from achieving the qualification standard,” according to the AFI guidelines.
As in the earlier norm, it is mandatory for an athlete to achieve the qualification standard fixed by World Athletics and to be in the ranking as per the WA ranking system to be selected in the Indian team.
The Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships to be held from June 27 to 30 next year in Panchkula will be the final selection trials for the 2024 Olympic Games.
It also said that the qualification standards achieved in any recognised competition will be considered for the purpose of selection only if the athlete is sent by AFI to participate in such competitions.
“The athletes can be exempted from participation in the final trials to be held from 27-30 June 2024 in case an athlete is invited to participate in the Diamond League or is sent by AFI to participate in some competitions in order to achieve the qualification standard. The list of such athletes will be displayed on the AFI website no later than 15th June 2024,” the federation said.
“The exemption can be granted only by the selection committee at the request of the athletes or the coach while giving the justification for such exemption.”
AFI president Adille Sumariwalla hinted that athletes who are sent under TOPS Scheme would be covered within this criterion.
The AFI selection committee has the right to reject the name of any athlete who has achieved the qualification standard fixed by the World Athletics on account of failure to participate in the final selection competition (Inter-State Championships) and other parameters.
“Sometimes athletes qualify early and then later (closer to Olympics) they cannot even come near that mark. Indian athletics is rising and more athletes will qualify for the Paris Olympics and we have set some standard (benchmark). So, we have framed the (stricter) guidelines,” Bhanot said.
“The idea is that going there in the Olympics means performance. It is not just participation, we have to show performance. If we make the guidelines stricter, the athletes will show better performance.”
“There will be customised training for every single athlete. We have created a base with a set of domestic competitions, beyond that how many want to take part in international events can be decided. If someone does not want to go abroad, you have got this set up of domestic competitions,” Bhanot said. (PTI)