Date:31/01/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/01/31/stories/2006013105512200.htm

Sport - Athletics

Focus on walkers, says Ghamanda Ram

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The focus will be on the walkers and the middle distance runner Ghamanda Ram in the inaugural National endurance meet to be held here on Tuesday.

A meet of this nature is only an expected addition to the ever-enlarging National calendar, with separate meets for throws and multi-events being introduced during the past two years.

Middle and long distance running, once the forte of the country, at least at the continental level, had slipped to its leanest phase during the past decade if one were to exclude the surprise silver grabbed by K.M. Binu in the 800 metres in the last Asian Games.

Binu, now away with the national squad training in South Africa, has since gone out of the reckoning at the Asian level in the 800m and is concentrating on the 400 metres. Ghamanda Ram had projected himself as the man to watch in the two-lap event with his 1:46.81 at Jamshedpur last year. He, however, disappointed in the Asian championships at Incheon, Korea.

Immediate task

The immediate task of the athletes would be to make a mark in order to get into the selection bracket for the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in March. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has not laid down any fixed criteria, but has talked about "medal-winning prospects". That is a tall order in the Commonwealth Games perspective.

Yet, the chances of either Gurdev Singh or Sita Ram staking a claim for a berth in the squad for the 50km walk should be considered bright. The 50km is an event that was revived on the national calendar last season and Gurdev had the distinction of bettering a long-standing national record at Hyderabad.The walk events will be held near the Central Secretariat grounds while the main meet would be at the Nehru Stadium.