<p>Bengaluru: Manikanta Hoblidhar, Daneshwari AT (sprinters), Vijaykumari GK and MR Poovamma (quartermilers) are all set to play crucial roles in India’s push for qualifications in various events of the World Relay Championships later this year as the four Karnataka runners are competing for India at the first edition of the International Invitation Relay Competition, doubling up as the National Open Relay Competition, in Chandigarh on Friday.</p><p>All four runners were included in the 26-athlete India squad for the one-day meet — which also features Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan — as the Athletics Federation of India pushes for qualification in men’s 4x100m, 4x400, women’s 4x400, and mixed 4x100m for the World Relays (slated in Gaborone, Botswana on May 3-5).</p><p>India are already within the qualification zone for women’s 4x100m (ranked 23rd in the world) and mixed 4x400 (ranked 22nd) but any improvement in their current best timing will strengthen their chances as only the top 24 will qualify per event for the May showdown.</p><p>Friday’s event is probably the last chance for India to qualify for the abovementioned events as April 5 has been set the deadline for qualification. World Athletics will finalise the line-up on April 7.</p><p>Non-campers Vijaykumari and Poovamma have emerged as a crucial addition to the 400m relay squad as the Karnataka duo outpaced the Indian campers for silver and bronze respectively at the National 400m Open in Thiruvananthapuram last week.</p><p>Both the quartermilers, along with gold medallist Vithya Ramraj, were requested to join the team a couple of days ago and joined the team’s training session for baton exchange practice on Thursday evening.</p><p>India are chasing a mark of 3.34.18 seconds in women’s 4x400m. </p><p>India’s second-fastest 100m sprinter Manikanta, on the other hand, will join forces with national record holder Animesh Kujur, 60m NR holder Gurindervir Singh, Tamil Arasu among others as they chase a timing of 38.73 seconds or better to enter the top 24 list. </p><p>Manikanta may feature in the mixed 4x100m relay with state-mate Daneshwari with the aim to set a timing of 43.25 seconds or above.</p><p>Karnataka separately have named a 29-athlete squad for the Relay Nationals.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Manikanta Hoblidhar, Daneshwari AT (sprinters), Vijaykumari GK and MR Poovamma (quartermilers) are all set to play crucial roles in India’s push for qualifications in various events of the World Relay Championships later this year as the four Karnataka runners are competing for India at the first edition of the International Invitation Relay Competition, doubling up as the National Open Relay Competition, in Chandigarh on Friday.</p><p>All four runners were included in the 26-athlete India squad for the one-day meet — which also features Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan — as the Athletics Federation of India pushes for qualification in men’s 4x100m, 4x400, women’s 4x400, and mixed 4x100m for the World Relays (slated in Gaborone, Botswana on May 3-5).</p><p>India are already within the qualification zone for women’s 4x100m (ranked 23rd in the world) and mixed 4x400 (ranked 22nd) but any improvement in their current best timing will strengthen their chances as only the top 24 will qualify per event for the May showdown.</p><p>Friday’s event is probably the last chance for India to qualify for the abovementioned events as April 5 has been set the deadline for qualification. World Athletics will finalise the line-up on April 7.</p><p>Non-campers Vijaykumari and Poovamma have emerged as a crucial addition to the 400m relay squad as the Karnataka duo outpaced the Indian campers for silver and bronze respectively at the National 400m Open in Thiruvananthapuram last week.</p><p>Both the quartermilers, along with gold medallist Vithya Ramraj, were requested to join the team a couple of days ago and joined the team’s training session for baton exchange practice on Thursday evening.</p><p>India are chasing a mark of 3.34.18 seconds in women’s 4x400m. </p><p>India’s second-fastest 100m sprinter Manikanta, on the other hand, will join forces with national record holder Animesh Kujur, 60m NR holder Gurindervir Singh, Tamil Arasu among others as they chase a timing of 38.73 seconds or better to enter the top 24 list. </p><p>Manikanta may feature in the mixed 4x100m relay with state-mate Daneshwari with the aim to set a timing of 43.25 seconds or above.</p><p>Karnataka separately have named a 29-athlete squad for the Relay Nationals.</p>