AFI makes it mandatory for athletes to take part in at least one event before Fed Cup

NEW DELHI: Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has made it mandatory for athletes to compete in at least one regional competition or country-wide one-day event like the Grand Prix to be eligible for participation in the Federation Cup, the first national championship of the season 2025.

This is being done to ensure that athletes come prepared or show consistency as the Indian team for the Asian Championships to be held in Korea from May 27-31 will be picked on the basis of performance at the Federation Cup, which will be organised in Kochi, Kerala from April 21-24.

However, the athletes who are sent abroad by AFI for training, like double Olympic medallist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, will be exempted from this regulation.

"To participate in this competition (Federation Cup), athletes must achieve the qualification entry standards in events directly organised by the AFI in the year 2025," the AFI said in a circular.

"It is mandatory for athletes to participate in at least one regional competition (Indian Open Athletics Meet Punjab, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu) or 4th Indian Open Throws/4th Indian Open Jumps/6th Indian Open 400m/Indian Grand Prix in 2025.

"Please note that only performances achieved in the year 2025 will be considered and no old performances will be accepted," the circular issued on Tuesday added.

It's, though, not new for AFI to set entry standards for major events like the Federation Cup, National Inter-State Championships and National Open Championships.

In the domestic calendar, the AFI has introduced eight Indian Open Meetings this season in different parts of the country to give more exposure to athletes near their native places.

One such one-day event was held on April 1 in Sangrur, Punjab, while three more will take place before the Federation Cup -- at Nadiad in Gujarat on April 5, in Ranchi on April 10 and in Chennai on April 15.

"All units and athletes were informed (about this) three months ago and the same is on the website since last three months. This was only a reminder circular," AFI spokesperson and former president Adille Sumariwalla said.

"Athletes are asking for more competition and then shying away," he added.

On many occasions in the past, athletes would just turn up for major events like the Federation Cup or National Inter-State Championships as they serve as qualifying events for Asian Championships or World Championships or Olympics, and later they fail to perform at these international events.

"We want to stop this kind of things. The athletes should show that they have come prepared and they should show consistency," an AFI official told PTI.

Whether Neeraj will compete in domestic event not yet known

Chopra, who is currently training in Turkey, surprisingly competed in the Federation Cup last year in Bhubaneshwar but it is still not yet known whether he will take part in a domestic event this year.

When he won the men's javelin gold in the 2024 Federation Cup, he was taking part in a domestic competition for the first time since the 2021 edition.

"Whether Neeraj will compete in a domestic event this year is not yet confirmed," the AFI official said.

It was announced in January that India will host a star-studded global javelin competition in May with Chopra in the tournament's organising team.

The event has received endorsement from World Athletics president Sebastian Coe, but since then there is no update on the date and venue of the event.

If the javelin event in India is not held in the first part of next month, the 27-year-old Chopra is likely to begin his season at the Doha Diamond League on May 16.

He is unlikely to take part in the Asian Championships as his main goal this year will be to defend his title at the World Championships to be held in Tokyo from September 13-21.

The National Inter-State Championships to be held in Chennai from August 20-24 will be the last qualifying event for the Indian athletes to qualify for the World Championships.