AFI to restructure domestic competition

According to the AFI, due to decentralisation of the national camps there will be no national preparatory camps to prepare for international meets.

TN Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin inaugurates the championship with AFI president Adille Sumariwalla (Photo | P Jawahar)

CHENNAI: The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) plans to restructure the domestic competition and qualification system for major international events, including Olympics, from the 2025 season. Adille Sumariwalla, president of AFI who was in Chennai, for the fourth edition of South Asian Junior Athletics Championship at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Wednesday, said that the new measures will be in place for the benefit of athletes. Lalit Bhanot who heads the South Asian Athletics Federation too was present.

Sumariwalla is ending his 12-year tenure this month. The AFI chief said that there is a plan to restructure the qualification system for international events in future so that the athletes are able to peak at the right time.

"To qualify for major international events the athletes will have to compete in a certain number of domestic competitions to earn valuable points," Sumariwalla added. "A steady performance will be a big advantage to get a nod from the AFI selection panel."

"We have been discussing with our athletes, and a lot of them are talking about affordable competitions. They want more competitions at their regional level, at their state level. So AFI is in the process of reframing our competition calendar," said Sumariwalla.

"We are going to add more events, both at junior and senior levels so that our athletes can get better competitions. The regional level meets will be more so that they don't have to travel far from their place of play," he said.

"So to get more competition, more athletes can take part, including juniors. We are also looking at introducing a point system something similar to the rankings of World Athletics," he said. "So, for example, the qualification for world championship or for Olympic games is a combination of achieving your qualifying standard and the ranking."

According to the AFI, due to decentralisation of the national camps there will be no national preparatory camps to prepare for international meets. "The athletes will train at regional centres and places of their choice. We expect a minimum of 1000 athletes in various centers across the county."

Bhanot said that the Arhsad Nadeem and Neeracj Chopra doing well at the Olympics would boost the profile of athletics in the region particularly in javelin throw. He also said that India had been helping other South Asian nation athletes. "We invite them to use our practice facilities, and athletes from Sri Lanka, Nepal and other countries come here," he said.