Panchkula: Only one of the four 20km race walkers who have cracked the qualification standard for Paris Olympics competed at the National Inter-State Athletics Championships here, adding to the confusion over the selection process.
Already, Akshdeep Singh, Ram Baboo, Vikash Singh and Paramjeet Singh have achieved the Paris entry standard of 1:20:10 and are in contention for three places as a country is allowed a maximum of three individual quota places. In fact, three more race walkers made the cut in the Indian Open Race Walking Competition in Chandigarh in January but World Athletics cancelled the results of the tournament due to faulty readings.
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Priyanka Goswami and Akshdeep have also secured a Paris quota for the race walk mixed relay event (35km), which is included as a latest Olympic event.
Initially, race walk was not a part of Inter-State competition but it was included in the schedule a month ago. However, foreign coach Tatiana Sibileva had raised reservation about the hot and humid conditions impacting the timings of walkers.
“There has been confusion as far as selection of race walkers is concerned,” said a coach aware of development. “A month ago race walk was included in inter-state as a selection trial, but some walkers were permitted to complete in Slovakia. There are others who applied but didn’t get a visa obligingly:. “The walkers are confused with the whole process. It breaks the rhythm of training when you have to keep changing your schedule,” the coach said. Anyway, one of the chiefs of the Athletics Federation explained how the selection process would be done. “We will just go by the world rankings. One of them will have to prove his fitness and then we will check the rankings to pick the team,” he said.
The way things stand, Asian Games medallist Ram Baboo and Servin Sebastian — he was one of the walkers whose result was annulled in the Chandigarh event — will take part in Slovakia on Sunday.
Baboo, who didn’t compete for a month because of a hamstring injury, has reportedly been told to prove his fitness there. Incidentally, Baboo is the only walker to qualify this year, the other three having made the mark in February-March last year. Baboo clocked a personal time of 1:20:00 at the Dudinska 50 Meet in Slovakia, winning a bronze in the gold-level event. Sunday will, however, give Sebastian another opportunity to qualify though it will be a hard task as the event is taking place on track. Fitness wise, Sebastian has been quite impressive this season. He was good to make the Paris cut in a meet at Slovakia in May, but for a penalty point with two kms to go that saw him end up with a timing of 1:22.20.
Only Vikash Singh emerged as the Paris-qualified walker to compete here on Saturday as he clocked 1:27:21 to finish third. It was a humid day and walkers did find tough going with four of the 17 entrants failing to finish. Sanjay Singh picked up gold with a timing of 1:26:13. Baboo and Servin had entered for this event before they were added to the team for the event in Slovakia.