Hot weather, a new track and familiar opponents await competitors in an event that returns to the track and field calendar after a ten-year break.
The South Asian Athletics Championships, beginning at the Maharaja's College ground here on Friday, bring together competitors from all the countries in the region barring Afghanistan. But in reality, the competition will mainly be between India and Sri Lanka, with the host nation's athletes getting another chance to book a ticket to the biggest event of all – the Olympic Games.
Pakistan might try to cause a ripple or two and Nepal may target long distance races at the two-day meet that offers the first taste of a synthetic surface to the Maldives and Bhutan athletes assembled here. India's focus, however, will firmly be on those who have promised to come into the qualification bracket for Beijing.
Middle-distance runners under the wings of Belarus coach Nikolai Snesarev lead the pack, thanks to the strides they have made in the last couple of seasons. Women discus throwers haven't been impressive so far this season, but this is an opportunity for them as well as for the 4x400 relay team, with this being a designated Olympic qualification event.
Sinimole Paulose, double-gold medalist at the Asian Indoor Championships, and Chatholi Hamza, silver winner in the 1500M, should fancy their chances on home turf but things haven't gone on expected lines for the duo outdoors. Sinimole could not meet the target of 2:01.30 in 800M despite winning her events at Patiala (Indian Grand Prix) and Bhopal (Federation Cup) while Hamza got beaten at both places by Ravinder Kumar. The weather, with temperatures hovering around the 33-degree mark in the shade, throws up another challenge as he aims for 3:39.00 in the 1500M.
Good track
"My aim is to win a medal first, timing comes later," said Hamza, while Sinimole felt if she could go under the qualification time along with a medal, that would simply double her joy on a track which she described as "pretty good."
But their coach Snesarev looked a worried man. "The athletes are in good shape but high temperature and high humidity are not good for those in endurance events," he said. The meet will also mark Anju George's entry into the outdoor season as she aims to peak in time for the Olympics. Already qualified for Beijing, Anju's would be an inspiring presence for the younger crop led by the promising Mayookha Johny, who soared up the ranks with her excellent 6.32 at Bhopal.
"It's just the start of the season, we are looking at a steady build up towards Beijing," said Robert Bobby George, Anju's coach and husband. Towards that goal, Anju will be participating in meetings abroad, beginning with the Doha Super Grand Prix on May 10 and the Prefontaine Classic on June 10.
The relay quartet of Sini Jose, Mandeep Kaur, Chitra K Soman and Manjeet Kaur will aim to clock a good timing here that would push them into the elite-16 in the world who are eligible to take part in Beijing.
From the fans' perspective, the absence of Susanthika Jayasinghe is a disappointment. The star sprinter is training in the US and is among a clutch of Lankans missing out here – quartermiler Rohan Pradeepakumara, sprinter Sujani Buddhika (both injured) and high jumper Manjula Kumara (training in US) being a few.
However, Prasanna Amarasekara, the Asian champion, is there, leading the Lankan challenge, and his presence should spur the Indians onto better timings in the men's 400M.
