Promising 400m runner misses out of start list, coach rues missed chance

CHENNAI: In a shocking turn of events at the FISU World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, Indian 400m runner Devyaniba Zila was denied the opportunity to compete after her name mysteriously went missing from the starting list. 


This unfortunate incident, which has reportedly impacted several other Indian athletes across different disciplines, including badminton, where six players were barred from competing due to administrative lapses at the managers' meeting, has cast a shadow over what was meant to be a pinnacle event in their athletic careers.

Devyaniba Zila, who achieved a personal best of 53.17 seconds at the Indian Athletics Meet in Chennai in April 2025, had thoroughly prepared for over a year for her first international outing.

Her coach, Arun Ajay, who has been training her since October 2023, expressed profound shock and disappointment in an exclusive interview with DT Next from Germany, stating, "We are still shocked; we can't digest it that we have missed it." 


Coach Ajay confirmed that Devyaniba's participation was explicitly confirmed for the individual 400m event, with relay involvement could be a secondary consideration. Emails from the selection committee clearly listed her for the 400m, a fact corroborated by the authorities.

Coach Ajay suspects "a lot of juggling up from India," pointing to the unexpected inclusion of athletes like Kiran Pahal, who has not competed in many events since the Paris Olympics and missed both the All India University and World University Trials.

While acknowledging Rupal as a top Indian athlete whose direct entry would be acceptable, the coach questioned the rationale behind other last-minute additions that seemingly displaced deserving athletes.

This incident marks a distressing first for Coach Ajay, who has been involved in athletics since 2000 and coaching full-time since 2018. He revealed that other Indian athletes who had their names on preliminary lists before departing India also found themselves omitted from the final start sheets in Germany.

Despite the immense setback and the emotional toll of wasted preparation, Devyaniba and her coach are attempting to salvage the trip by treating it as a valuable foreign training exposure in European conditions. However, the bitter taste of a lost opportunity for international competition and exposure remains high.