BHUBANESWAR: Around 2000 athletes will grace the tracks at the Kalinga Stadium from Friday, as they will be aiming for gold in the 40th National Junior Athletics Championships.
The event, which will conclude on October 14 is organised with the joint support of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), Odisha Athletics Association, and the Department of Sports and Youth Services.
From the state, 75 athletes, including 38 men and 37 women will compete across various disciplines. Haryana will have the highest number of athletes — 147.
This event is of increased significance, as top-performing athletes would be considered for the contingent to participate in the South Asian Athletics Championships in Ranchi starting November 24.
“AFI will (also) carry out talent identification at the event to find promising young athletes, who will then be sent to centres of excellence for additional training and development," said Adille Sumariwalla, spokesperson of AFI in a press conference on Thursday.
Junior meets like these may be vulnerable to instances of age fraud. To counter the same, the governing body has set biometric verification. "Doping control measures are also being implemented strictly, with NADA monitoring the entire event," Sumariwalla added.
While this event may act as a springboard to several talented athletes, the city is also hosting the Asian Table Tennis Teams Championships from October 11-15. "Organizing both national and international sporting events simultaneously is indeed a matter of pride and honour for all of us. I am confident that the participating athletes will deliver outstanding performances and bring glory through their achievements,” Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Sports and Youth Services Department said.