AFI to conduct final trials for major international event, non-performing athletes will be dropped

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) on Monday announced strict selection guidelines for athletes in the build-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics. The federation will organize competitions similar to a national championship or a final trial before any marquee event such as the world championships or Asian Games to select a team.

The decision comes owing to India’s disappointing performance at the Tokyo Olympics. AFI’s planning committee chairman Lalit K Bhanot said:

“The qualification period for the Olympics and world championships is a very long one. So there will now be a final trial, it will be a championship and that will be a final one for selecting the teams.”

The changes in the selection process, AFI believes, will help them select the best athletes for the competition. It also puts the onus on athletes to be at their best or else get dropped.

Bhanot added that India will send a full-strength squad to next year's Asian Games but is likely to have a limited contingent for the Worlds and Commonwealth Games.

"Those who qualify will be sent to the world championship but we will send a full-strength team to the Asian Games. As far as CWG is concerned, it will depend on the events we are expected to do well and where we don't stand a chance," he said.

AFI looks to revamp the coaching structure

A host of issues were discussed in detail during the two-day executive meeting, which was attended by AFI president Adille Sumariwalla, Bhanot and vice-president Anju Bobby George.

The federation has also decided to bring in foreign coaches to reach the next level. They also sacked Javelin coach Uwe Hohn and Murli Sreeshankar’s trainer after expressing unhappiness over their performance at the Olympics.

"We are not happy with his (Murli Sreeshankar’s) coaching programme, first action is already being taken as we have changed his coach," AFI president Adille Sumariwalla said.

AFI is looking for new foreign coaches and one elite trainer for shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor as part of boosting their overseas coaching team.

“We are bringing two more coaches and we are changing Uwe Hohn as we are not happy with his performance. We are looking for a foreign coach for Toor (shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor),” Sumariwalla added.

The federation, though, were happy with how Kamalpreet Kaur (women’s discus throw), India’s relay team, and Avinash Sable performed at the Olympics. They feel more exposure and foreign camps will help them improve better by the time the Paris Olympics arrive.

AFI also plans to redesign the junior programme and improve the scouting process.

“To reach the next level, we have to redesign the junior programme, how to do talent identification better to improve it further, we held discussions with athletes and coaches, both former and present athletes from all states,” Sumariwalla said.

He added that there will be different coaches for both junior and senior athletes. AFI is focussing on its core events -- 400m, walking, javelin, long jump and triple jump -- and plans to add to the list in the future.

“We will start with grassroot as once the foundation is strong, elite will automatically get stronger. This is a World Athletics course and they will award the certificates. Those coaches are for our identified events — 400m, walk, javelin, long jump and triple jump. There will be a different set of coaches for junior and senior athletes. We have recently identified Kerala, Karnataka, Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana,” Sumariwalla said.