
BHUBANESWAR: There stood the Kalinga Athletics Stadium in full glory. With thousands grooving to music, lights and smoke enveloping the ground, it was Bhubaneswar announcing that nothing is impossible for steely minds.
When Ranchi announced they had pulled out of hosting the 22nd Asian Athletics Championship at the eleventh hour citing fund crunch and operational limitations, it would not have been easy for the replacement, considering the magnitude of the event and crushing weight of responsibility on organisers.
For three months, the Odisha government worked and ensured they beat the clock.
Though Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik played the conductor’s role to ensure there was no cacophony in his orchestra, there was still a hint of doubt over whether technical aspects of construction were adequately followed.
The IAAF, athletics’ international body, often toed an extreme line when it came to quality of venues, and there were chances that they might inadvertently play the role of a party pooper if the technical committee deemed specifications unfit for play. But the fears were allayed on June 23, after the committee head gave a green card. Anxiety was eliminated, and it’s now the turn of athletes to deliver on the edifice painstakingly built by the city.
The hosts’ athletes will be hoping to make use of home conditions. Since the winner automatically qualifies for the World Championship in London, Athletics Federation of India will be itching to see some of its leading athletes make the cut.
Two-time Asian champion Vikas Gowda will be looking to end his medal drought with nothing less than gold. The genial giant was plagued by injuries in the run-up to the Rio Olympics, which affected his performances, and will be trying to get back to the top of the podium. If he can come close to his personal best of 66.28m, he can assure himself a yellow metal.
Similar performances can be expected from Tintu Luka, who will be out to defend her 800m title and earn a ticket to London. In women’s 400m, most watched will be performances of Nirmala Sheoran, despite her already making cut for the mega event. The Haryana quartermiler did 51.8s in the languid Patiala track recently, and onus will be on the 21-year-old to prove that her domestic outings are not a fluke.
In javelin throw, Neeraj Chopra will be locked in battle with Chinese Taipei’s Cheng Chao Tsun and compatriot Davinder Singh Kang. In women’s 3000m steeplechase, Sudha Singh is a contender for gold, while Tajinder Toor holds a chance in shot put. Hurdler Siddhanth Thingalaya is another gold medal prospect, provided he can replicate his show from an invitational meet in Phoenix. “My timings have been good this season,” he said.
AFI secretary CK Valson also said he expected his team to win more medals than last time. “We won four gold medals last time. With the sort of talent now, we can bag more this time,” he said.
shan.as@newindianexpress.com