Date:23/10/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/10/23/stories/2006102310851800.htm

Sport

A chance to peak towards Doha target

K.P. Mohan

PATIALA: Athletes aspiring to make the team for the Doha Asian Games will get an additional chance to aim for the qualifying marks in the third National circuit meet to be held here on Monday.

Originally, two circuit meets were scheduled in between the Open National and the inter-State meet. Both were cancelled before one was re-introduced as an after-thought in an effort to help the athletes `peak' towards their target.

Should the marks achieved in this circuit meet be counted towards selection?

There were differing views initially but the consensus currently seems to be in favour of accepting the results towards selection though the clincher will still have to come in the inter-State in Chennai from Nov. 2 to 5.

"As long as the athletes maintain their performance in Chennai (after having made the qualification grade at Patiala) there should be no arguments," Athletics Federation of India officials said on Sunday.

Sensible approach

In a season where the athletes have struggled to come close to the qualifying marks, this approach makes sense. So far, only 13 athletes have come within the third-place criteria (based on the results of the last Asian Games and Asian championships) for selection, though not all of them have performed up to standards in recent weeks.

The latest to join the list of `qualifiers' is long jumper Shiv Shankar Yadav. Confirmation about his 8.01m jump in a small meet in Forli, Italy, on Oct. 1, is now available. He is only the fourth Indian long jumper to cross eight metres, besides T.C. Yohannan, Sanjay Kumar Rai and Amritpal Singh. Yadav is also only one of five Asian jumpers who have gone beyond eight metres this season.

While Yadav has measured up to coach Evgene Shvilli's expectations, Mahan Singh has not. The triple jumpers have also not been able to come near the forecasted marks and Amarjeet Singh's 15.77m in the Open was particularly puzzling. The triple jumpers are supposed to be aiming beyond 17m.

There is reasonable optimism among coaches that the 400m races in both sections would turn out better timings than that obtained in the Open National in Delhi two weeks ago.