KOCHI: Steeplechaser Sudha Singh’s name has featured in the IAAF’s official list of entrants for the World Championships, casting doubts on the claims of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) that they can’t forward entries for the event after July 23.
Sudha, alongside PU Chitra and Ajay Kumar Saroj, were excluded from the initial list released to the media by AFI. The trio being continental champions, the decision met with stiff resistance and was questioned in court by Chitra. The Kerala High Court had even ordered Chitra’s inclusion in the squad, while the AFI maintained that they were helpless as the date for submitting entries were over by July 23. It’s this claim that now stands invalidated.
AFI secretary CK Valson on Friday, on specifically being asked about Sudha’s participation, told Express that they won’t be able to send new entries as the deadline was over. The AFI officials were unavailable for comments on this new development.
However, sources told Express that Sudha’s name was forwarded post July 23 after the athlete met the selection commission chairman GS Randhawa. Sudha had clocked a modest 9:59.47s in the Asian Championship and skipped the subsequently held Inter-state event in Guntur, which AFI had made mandatory for World Championship selection.
Swapna Barman, a women’s heptathlete, is also there.