Date:09/02/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/09/stories/2008020959901800.htm

Sport - Athletics

South Asian meet at Kochi

KOCHI: The first South Asian athletics championship will be held at the Maharaja’s College Stadium here on March 7 and 8.

The two-day event, one of the biggest meets to be held in Kerala, is expected to bring top athletes, including Sri Lankans Susanthika Jayasinghe and Indians Anju Bobby George, M. Renjith, Joseph Abraham, K.M. Binu and Sinimol Paulose to Kochi.

Apart from India and Sri Lanka, athletes from Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives and Bhutan are expected to figure in the two-day event.

Competitions in 18 events in the men’s section and 14 in women will be held during the meet but efforts are on to add the women’s triple jump, an event where Kerala’s young stars like Mayookha John and M.A. Prajusha have shone in recent meets, said Paul Aluvathingal, the Kerala Athletics Association secretary.

The Kerala Sports Minister M. Vijayakumar and former Asian star Mercy Kuttan unveiled the logo of the championship — Principal Correspondent