CHENNAI: The coronavirus outbreak has prompted Athletics Federation of India (AFI) to postpone the Federation Cup National Junior Athletics Championships, scheduled to be held from April 6-8 in Bhopal.
But they are yet to take a call on the Indian Grand Prix (IGP), which marks the beginning of the domestic season, in Patiala on March 20. AFI high-performance director Volker Herrmann said the event is on as of now. The Federation Cup for juniors was a selection trial for the 19th Asian Junior Athletics Championships scheduled to be held from May 14-17. However, since the Asian Athletics Association cancelled the event, it did not make sense to go on with the Fed Cup.
The AFI is not taking things lightly. A man who returned from Italy confirmed positive for coronavirus in Punjab on Monday. Herrmann will have a chat with doctors and coaches at NIS, Patiala, and monitor the situation closely. Most of the participants will be national campers and AFI has introduced strict safety measures in camps across the country. Entries for the first IGP will go on until Tuesday. “We are thinking of getting a heat camera at Patiala. That way, coaches and athletes entering the premises can be scanned,” Herrmann said.
With events getting cancelled or postponed worldwide, AFI is also concerned about the number of opportunities for athletes to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. Even for those who have already made the cut, lack of competitions will not be the best way to prepare for the quadrennial event. “Qatar has stopped flights from India. We hoped for Neeraj (Chopra) to take part in the Diamond League in Doha in April. But if he is not even allowed to fly there, it is going to be a problem,” added Hermann.