Four months prior to the opening ceremony of the Asian Athletics Championships in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, it had seemed unlikely that India would host the prestigious meet with original hosts Jharkhand pulling out due to fiscal reasons.
Athletics Federation of India president Adille Sumariwalla admitted that Odisha had pulled off a humongous task at the short notice of 90 days. On July 5, his opening address to a packed Kalinga Stadium signified the start of the competition and the relief in his voice at Odisha’s rescue job said it all.
Legends like Sriram Singh, whose 800 metres record from the 1976 Olympic Games is the oldest surviving national record in athletics were present to witness the occasion. With almost a third of the 95-strong Indian contingent set to compete on Day 1, new heroes may be born as we look at some of the more interesting entries on the opening day of the competition:
Muhammed Anas (400 metres Heats starting 9.35 am, Semifinals 7.40 pm)
Anas is the reigning 400 metres national record holder with his 45.32 seconds at the Indian Grand Prix in New Delhi last month bettering his own record by 0.08 seconds. He will be among the favourites for a medal at this event.
Amoj Jacob, still 19, capitalised on Anas’ absence from last month’s Federation Cup, to beat the pre-meet favourite Rajiv. Jacob is expected to go even faster and he will be in Heat 3 with Rajiv in Heat 2.
Vikas Gowda (Discus Throw Final starting 6 pm)
Much has been spoken about the 34-year old thrower in the build-up to the games and about his apparent lack of fitness leading up to the AAC 2017. The defending champion from Wuhan will aim to make it a hat-trick of titles after clearing trials just in time for the meet, having won gold in Pune and Wuhan.
Gowda will also have other Indian throwers Dharamraj Yadav and Kirpal Singh for company as he aims to beat a strong field, including the likes of Iranian Ehsan Hadadi.
S Siva (Pole Vault Final starting 6.05 pm)
In the discussion surrounding Gowda in the build-up to the meet, one of the names that may have been lost in the din but for his national record, is 21-year old S Siva from Tamil Nadu. Having beaten previous record holder K P Bimin, Siva’s mark of 5.14 metres is fourth highest among the competitors present at the AAC, but for an athlete who did not take up pole vault until recently, his strides have been remarkable.
Nayana James (Long Jump Final starting 6.10 pm)
James, the 21-year old is a rarity and is a national champion at both the Long Jump and the 110 metre hurdles. However, the long jump is James’ specialty and with her having jumped 6.55 metres in Patiala, only the fifth Indian woman to have ever cleared the 6.50 metre mark, she will be gunning for the gold here. Possibly the best gold medal prospect for the hosts on the opening day.
Dutee Chand (100 metres Heat 3 starting 6.29 pm)
Between the controversy surrounding IAAF’s statement around hyperandrogenism and massive local support for the 21-year old, all eyes will be on Dutee as she aims to negotiate the heats safely, in order to qualify for the final.
All talk of a medal would be premature considering the ultra-strong depth that the women’s 100 metre field possesses.
Femi Ogunode (100 metres Heat 5 starting 7.09 pm)
One of the best athletes present in the entire competition, reigning champion and Asian record holder Femi Ogunode will look to set the track on fire in heat 5. The Qatari is the only one in the field present, to have completed a sub-10 second run. Local favourite Amiya Mallick will race in heat 1 but is unlikely to stop Femi’s domination.
Manpreet Kaur (Shot Put Final starting 6.45 pm)
Kaur, like James, has the best seasonal mark among all the competitors coming into this meet and is another potential Gold medallist. Kaur’s throw of 18.86 metres earlier this year has earned her top billing for this contest. 18-year old Anamika Das and Ramanpreet Kaur will be the other Indians in the final.
Nirmala Devi, Jisna Mathew and M R Poovamma (400 metres Heat starting 7.25 pm)
Nirmala Devi absolutely blitzed the field at this year’s Federation Cup, finishing a full second ahead of her nearest competitor and has already declared Manjit Kaur’s 12-year old national record of 51.05 seconds as her next target.
A PT Usha trainee, Jisna at 18, has plenty of time to catch up and will look to upset the established order while Poovamma, once India’s fastest quarter-miler will be aiming to prove that she isn’t done and dusted just yet.
Annu Rani (Javelin Throw Final starting 7.45 pm)
Annu Rani smashed her own record at the Federation Cup and will start second favourite behind China’s Li Lingwei. Rani’s throw of 61.86 metres enabled her to qualify for the Worlds but Lingwei’s highest of 64.10 metre this season will take some beating.
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