Hima Das out of Fed Cup Athletics Championships due to injury
Asian Games champion shot putter Tejinderpal Singh Toor and Commonwealth Games bronze medalist javelin thrower Annu Rani will be the center of attraction at the Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships beginning here on Monday. Several top athletes including Birmingham Commonwealth Games gold medalist triple jumper Eldhoj Paul, silver medalist Avinash Sable (3000m steeplechase) and Murali Sreesankar (long jump) will not take part in the four-day event.
Star sprinter Hima Das has been ruled out of the championships to be held at the Birsa Munda Stadium last month due to a hamstring injury. More than 5000 athletes will challenge in the competition. The first major domestic track and field event of the season is also a qualifying event for the Asian Athletics Championships to be held in Bangkok from July 12 to 16. This will also give the players a chance to achieve the qualifying level for the World Athletics Championships to be held in Budapest from August 19 to 27 and the Hangzhou Asian Games to be held in September-October.
Men’s long jump national record holder Jesvin Aldrin, long jumper prodigy Shaili Singh and recent national record holder in triple jump Praveen Chitravel are some of the other top sportspersons who will also not take part in the event. Most of these players are training or competing abroad to prepare for the Asian Games and World Championships. The 30-year-old national record holder Anu has been training in Offenburg, Germany since February and will start her 2023 season here. Star sprinter Hima Das will also miss the Federation Cup as she is nursing a hamstring injury which she suffered just before the Indian Grand Prix four in Bengaluru on April 15.
A top source told PTI on condition of anonymity, “It (Hima’s injury) is not an old back problem but a hamstring injury. She suffered the injury just a day before the Indian Grand Prix 4 in Bengaluru. “She is undergoing rehabilitation and we are expecting her to compete in the National Inter-State Championships (June 15-19) in Bhubaneswar. Medals will be up for grabs in five events on the first day of the competition, including 10,000 meters in both men’s and women’s sections in the morning session. In the evening session, there will be women’s shot put and 3000 meters men’s and women’s steeplechase events. The first day will also see the preliminary round events of the men’s 100m and 400m races.
