Sport - Boxing

Anju George fails to get selected for World Cup

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Anju George has failed to gain selection to the Asian team for the World Cup athletics championships to be held in Athens on September 16 and 17.

Anju had been preparing for the event diligently for the past few months, under the impression that she had clinched a place in the team on the strength of her first place in the Asian championships in Incheon, Korea, last year. She was keenly looking forward to her maiden appearance in the quadrennial event.

An injury, however, pegged her back since May, but she was hoping to get back into competitive mode at the South Asian Games in Colombo in her build-up towards the World Cup and the Doha Asian Games in December.

The Asian Athletics Association (AAA), which recently finalised the team for the World Cup, noted "current performances", rather than those achieved nearly a year ago in Incheon, while picking the team.

Olga takes lone spot

Accordingly, Kazakhstan's Olga Rypakova, who swept the titles in this year's Asian Grand Prix series, was chosen for the lone spot available in the team in women's long jump.

Asked whether Anju's performance in the SA Games in Colombo would be taken into consideration at this stage, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) Secretary, Lalit Bhanot, who was part of the AAA selection panel, was non-committal on Monday.

The deadline for entries for the World Cup is August 26. The women's long jump final in the South Asian Games is scheduled for August 25.

The best performance by an Asian long jumper this season has been the 6.86 metres by Japanese Kumiko Ikeda in Osaka in May.

Ikeda was not considered for selection since she did not compete in the Asian Grand Prix series. "Priority went to those who participated in our events," said the AAA Secretary, Maurice Nicholas, from Singapore on Monday. "Provided of course they had the performance to back them up".

Basic criteria

Mr. Nicholas explained that having accepted the futility of considering performances at Incheon last September, the AAA went by three basic criteria. Those who were the best in the world like Chinese high hurdler Liu Xiang and Qatari steeplechaser Saif Saaeed Shaheen, gained automatic selection. Then came "current performance" and if that was close then preference was given to an athlete who competed in the AAA events.

"What is Anju's performance after the Pune meet (6.46m)? We have to base our selection on some performance and we had to have a cut-off date," said Mr. Nicholas. Performances up to July 22 were taken into consideration, he said.

Sources close to Anju revealed on Monday that she was still hoping to get an entry, though it looked unlikely that the AAA, of which Mr. Suresh Kalmadi is the President, would bring in a change at this late stage. Anju would not comment when contacted in Bangalore.

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