AFI announce a 31-member list for upcoming Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast

03/11/2018

The Athletic Federation of India has revealed a 31-member list for the upcoming Commonwealth Games to be held in Gold Coast, Australia, which is scheduled start in April. The AFI committee met in Patiala, on Thursday, following the end of the four-day Federation Cup which was the final trials event.

Since the first Commonwealth Games that were held in Cardiff in 1958, Indian athletes such as the famous Milkha Singh, Anju Bobby George and sprinter Jauna Murmu have managed to bag medals for the country. With the 2018 CWG set to begin next month, on April 4, the AFI have revealed a 31-member shortlist that is going to be considered for the tournament in Australia.

The AFI have stuck to their guidelines while they prepared the shortlist by making exceptions in just a few cases, although they had a maximum capacity of 37 names, they chose to reveal just 31 athletes in their shortlist. The federation had delayed the revelation of the 31-member list as they wanted to ensure a few of the top 400m runners, who had refused to join the camp, would give an undertaking that they would not skip such a camp henceforth after being included.

The AFI had earlier announced that the non-campers would not be included in the CWG squad. This led to doubts over the participation of star runners MR Poovamma, Anas Mohammed and Arokiya Rajiv. According to an AFI source, 400 metres coach Galina Bukharina told the AFI that it would not make sense to send 400m relay squads without the likes of athletes likes Poovamma, Anas and Rajiv. Each athlete was personally approached by a member of the selection committee, after which they agreed to train at the national camp.

Although Jauna Murmu who had won the Gold at the 2012 CWG in Delhi (4×400) had been named in the squad, she is yet to submit her passport, according to AFI officials. She is believed to be injured and is on the path to recovery ahead of the final announcement of the relay squad.

“We have informed her on several occasions but she has not furnished the required documents as yet which can cause a lot of issues in getting her Visa done,” an AFI source disclosed.

Men : Jinson Johnson (men's 1500m), Dharun Ayyasamy (400m, 4x400m relay), Tejaswin Shankar (high jump), Siddharth Yadav (high jump), Sreeshankar (long jump), Arpinder Singh (triple jump), Rakesh Babu (triple jump), Tajinderpal Singh Toor (shot put), Neeraj Chopra (javelin throw), Vipin Kasana (javelin throw), Irfan Kolothum Thodi (20km race walk), Manish Singh Rawat (20km race walk), Muhammed Anas Yahiya (4x400m relay), Jeevan Karekoppa Suresh (4x400m relay), Amoj Jacob (4x400m relay), Kunhu Mohammed (4x400m relay), Jithu Baby (4x400m relay), Arokiya Rajiv (4x400m relay)

Women : Hima Das (200m & 400m, 4x400m relay), Suriya Longanathan (10000m), Nayana James (long jump), Neena Pinto (long jump), Seema Punia (discus throw), Navjeet Kaur Dhillon (discus throw), Purnima Hembram (heptahalon), Soumya Baby (20km race walk), Khushbir Kaur (20km race walk), M R Poovamma (4x400m relay), Sonia Baishya (4x400m relay), Saritaben Laxmanbhai Gayakwad (4x400m relay), Juana Murmu (4x400m relay).

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