National Junior Athletics Championships: Gateway to South Asian Senior Championships

Bhubaneswar, Oct 9 (PTI): Promising athletes at the upcoming National Junior Athletics Championships, set to commence on Friday in Bhubaneswar, will have a chance to be selected for the South Asian Senior Championships in Ranchi next month, as announced by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) on Thursday. "The South Asian Senior Athletics Championships will provide excellent home soil exposure for our promising junior athletes," remarked Adille Sumariwalla, AFI spokesperson, during a press meet. "Besides our senior athletes, we'll also be eyeing the talented youngsters for the national team considering the South Asian Championship. The South Asian Senior Championships will take place at Ranchi's Birsa Munda Stadium from November 24-26, under the South Asian Athletics Federation's (SAAF) umbrella.

Sumariwalla, a former AFI president, highlighted the participation of over 2000 athletes, including 950 female competitors, across various age groups during the five-day event. The junior championship, organized with the support of the Government of Odisha, also serves as an essential platform to scout fresh talent. "AFI's talent identification team will be active throughout the event, scouting athletes with global potential," Sumariwalla emphasized.

He underscored the focus on athletes' holistic development, aiming to prevent early specialization and over-training during their formative years. "We have restructured our junior competition program. We've introduced triathlon events in the U14 category, and made some modifications in the U16 group. For instance, high jumpers in the U16 category may use the scissor style instead of the Fosbury flop technique," explained Sumariwalla.

Addressing the concern of overage athletes, the AFI has implemented a system using a Unique Identification Number (UID) and QR Code on Bib Numbers for age group competitions. "This initiative aims to combat impersonation and overage issues at the junior level," added Sumariwalla.

This marks the second time the national junior competition is being held in Bhubaneswar, with the Kalinga Stadium having previously hosted the one-day World Continental Tour bronze level meet in August. "It's a moment of pride for the Government of Odisha to host multiple sporting events, extending beyond track and field to other Olympic disciplines," stated Sachin R Jadhav, Commissioner-cum-Secretary Sports. "All necessary arrangements are in place to ensure the seamless execution of the five-day junior track and field competition," he added.

The opening day on Friday will see 14 finals, with the women's under-20 5,000m track race being the first medal event.

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