High jumper Tejaswin Shankar, on a full scholarship at the Kansas State University, is stuck between appearing for his mid-term assessments or visiting Patiala for the Federation Cup, the event earmarked through the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) as the choice trials for the Asian Athletics Championships. The AFI has made it mandatory for all athletes to take part in the Federation Cup. Elite athletes could be given an exemption, AFI policies state, but the choice committee can have the very last say if they’re to be picked for the Indian crew. Speaking to The Indian Express, he said, “I will need to leave out my very last exams in April since it coincides with the Asian Athletics Champions. So I must appear for this one. I can’t miss both; my professor wouldn’t allow it.”
However, the AFI is keen that he participates in the Fed Cup. Commenting on the difficulty, AFI secretary CK Valson said, “The AFI has obtained a letter from Tejaswin Shankar in which he has asked us to allow him to bypass the Federation Cup, the choice trial for the Asian Athletics Championships. The AFI has replied that he might have to take part in the Federation Cup. The very last call could be taken with the aid of the choice committee after evaluating his overall performance in recent meets.”
However, to affect the national selectors and probably avoid the journey to Patiala, Shankar will have to provide you with a favorite show within the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) indoor meet in the US on March 9. He is hopeful that he will clear 2.25 meters, the qualifying suggestions set via the AFI for the Asian championships. Last month Shankar jumped 2.28 meters on the Big 12 collegiate meet, only a centimeter brief of his countrywide document.
In case he fails to clean 2.25 meters, Shankar’s issues should worsen. “That could suggest I might have just got carried out with my final indoor meet three days earlier than the Fed Cup, after which sitting in a flight for twenty-four hours might be unforgiving. Moreover, I might have ignored lessons and university work,” he stated.
The AFI has made it mandatory for all athletes to take part in the Federation Cup. Elite athletes can be given an exemption, AFI rules nation, but the choice committee may have the very last say if they’re to be picked for the Indian crew. Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games gold-medal winner, training in Potchefstroom with foreign educate Uwe Hohn, has been exempted from participating in the Federation Cup.
