KOCHI: Athlete P U Chitra Monday is suing the Athletic Federation of India (AFI) for contempt of court after the Federation did little to ensure that the middle distance runner is given a place in the Indian team to participate in the World Athletics Championships in London.
A contempt petition filed by Chitra named the secretary, president and selection committee chairman of AFI for willful disobedience of a Kerala High Court order asking them to make a forceful intervention to include her in the team.
The AFI was asked to ensure her participation in the World Championships but it only wrote a written a simple letter to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) pointing out that the Kerala High Court had passed an interim order in favour of her inclusion. There was no formal request, Chitra’s petition said.
Chitra decided to sue for contempt a day after IAAF rejected the Kerala athlete's participation.
Chitra won the gold medal in the women's 1500 m in the Asian Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar recently. Asian Championships winners get an automatic berth for the World Championships but global governing body IAAF’s rules were clear that the national federation is within its powers not to send a continental event winner.
The AFI justified Chitra's omission from the list, saying her gold medal effort at the Asian Athletics Championships was not good enough to warrant participation in the world meet.